External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is “personally monitoring” the tragic case of an Indian IT professional based in New York, who was killed along with his parents in a road accident in the US on
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is “personally monitoring” the tragic case of an Indian IT professional based in New York, who was killed along with his parents in a road accident in the US on July 4.
According to reports from the US, Chandan Gavai (38), an IT professional based in New York, was killed along with his parents in an accident in the US on July 4, while wife, Manisha, is in a coma with terrible burns and head injuries. Their 11-month-old sonson fractured both his arms.
“I am monitoring this case personally and I have all the details. The last rites of the parents is possible. But US laws do not permit cremation of Chandan as his wife is in coma and unable to give consent.”
(The Indian) Consul General, New York, is in regular touch with me. She is providing all assistance to the family,” Ms Swaraj tweeted.
According to reports, the Kalyan-based family of the deceased has been running from “pillar to post” trying to bring the bodies back to India. Swapnil Gavai, Chandan’s brother, a resident of Kalyan, reached New York in the second week of July and has been desperately approaching all authorities concerned there to let him have the bodies so that he can cremate them. He told a TV channel, “Bringing the bodies to India will cost us $20,000 (Rs 13.5 lakh) for each body; we don’t have that kind of money. The cost for cremating each body right here is around $6,000 (Rs 4 lakh). We have been going to everyone we can, asking for help. Also, the authorities here are saying we cannot claim our brother’s body, only his wife can do that. We can’t just claim our parents’ bodies and abandon our brother.”
