A Son's Final Journey, Interrupted: The Heartbreaking Case of Mohd Zameel

Imagine the anguish, the sheer disbelief. For a family in Rajasthan, the grief of losing their son, Mohd Zameel, to a tragic shootout in Saudi Arabia was already overwhelming. He was a young man, just 26, working diligently abroad to support his loved ones back home. But then, a horrifying error compounded their sorrow into an unimaginable ordeal: Zameel’s body, finally repatriated to India, was mistakenly delivered to another family and buried hundreds of kilometres away in Uttar Pradesh.

For two agonizing months, Zameel's family, hailing from Kuchaman City in Nagaur district, had been waiting, holding onto a sliver of hope even amidst their profound sorrow. News of his death, which occurred in a shootout on March 11, reached them just two days later through his Saudi employer. A dutiful son, Zameel had spent five years as a driver in Saudi Arabia, diligently sending money back to his father, a daily wage labourer, to keep his family afloat. Their wait, their planning for a final farewell, stretched on.

The body finally arrived in India on April 16, or so they thought. But it wasn't for them. In a mix-up that beggars belief, the remains were tragically misidentified and released to the family of another Indian migrant worker, Mohd Wasim from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. Believing it was their own son, Wasim's family proceeded with the burial, laying Zameel to rest in Nagina, Bijnor, unaware of the devastating mistake that had unfolded.

It wasn't until May 2 that Zameel's family stumbled upon the gut-wrenching truth. The body they had been expecting, the one they had mourned and longed to receive, had already been buried by strangers. Can you even begin to fathom that moment of dawning realization? The Superintendent of Police for Nagaur, Ram Moorty, confirmed this heart-wrenching mix-up, adding a grim official stamp to their nightmare.

Now, Mohd Niyaz, Zameel's father, and his brother, Wasim, are making a desperate plea. Their request is simple, yet incredibly complex given the circumstances: they want their son, their brother, exhumed and returned to them. They yearn for the dignity of giving him a proper burial, in their ancestral land, surrounded by his own people, in accordance with their traditions. It's about closure, about respect, and about the fundamental human right to mourn and bury one's own.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has, of course, been contacted. This isn't merely an administrative hiccup; it's a profound human tragedy that underscores the often-unseen complexities and heartbreaks faced by migrant workers and their families. Adding another layer to this intricate situation, the actual body of Mohd Wasim, the man whose family mistakenly buried Zameel, remains in Saudi Arabia, awaiting its own repatriation.

Zameel's family is leaving no stone unturned. They've submitted pleas to the Ministry of External Affairs, the District Collector, and the state government. They're even prepared to travel all the way to Bijnor themselves, if needed, just to identify him and help facilitate the process. Their resolve, fueled by love and sorrow, is unwavering. All they want, truly, is for their son to finally come home, even in death, and be laid to rest with the respect he deserves.