New Delhi: In a shocking incident, several internal organs of an Indian seafarer who died in Venezuela were found missing when his body was brought back to India, prompting the Government of India to seek the intervention of the Venezuelan authorities.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said it has taken up the matter with the Venezuelan authorities and requested them to urgently investigate the case.
The 33-year-old seafarer, Rakesh Chauhan from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, died while serving on a merchant vessel in Venezuela. A post-mortem examination conducted after his body was repatriated to India found that several internal organs were missing.
"We have taken up the matter with the Venezuelan authorities, requesting them to urgently investigate it. We will keep you updated on the developments," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a query during his weekly media briefing.
According to Chauhan's family, he had travelled to Venezuela in November 2025 as a crew member on a merchant vessel through a private company.
The company informed the family in May this year that Chauhan had suffered serious injuries after a fall and was undergoing treatment. A day later, they were informed that he had died, the family said.
They also alleged that although the company had assured them the body would be sent to India within a week, it reached Deoria nearly a month later.
Chief Medical Superintendent of Deoria Medical College, H.K. Mishra, had earlier said that the post-mortem report revealed several major internal organs—including the brain, heart, both lungs, liver, both kidneys, spleen, pancreas, stomach and intestines—were missing.
The report also noted that the thyroid gland, hyoid bone, larynx and trachea were absent.
It added that the exact cause of death could not be determined due to the absence of the internal organs.