S Jaishankar thanked for repatriation of student’s remains from Iran

Srinagar, January 23

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association national convenor Nasir Khuchami has penned a letter of gratitude to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for facilitating the repatriation of the mortal remains of a Kashmiri MBBS student from Iran.

This comes after the tragic death of a Kashmiri youth, Mohammad Arsalan, a medical student in Iran. The Indian Embassy in Tehran facilitated the return of the mortal remains to his hometown of Sopore in Baramulla district.

Mohammad Arsalan was pursuing his medical studies in Kanjawal, Iran. The Indian Embassy in Tehran played a pivotal role in expediting the return of Arsalan’s body to his grieving family.

The organisation convener underscored the timely intervention of the Indian embassy in Tehran with the officials of the government of Iran and said, “Your proactive engagement and compassionate handling of the matter reaffirm the responsiveness and efficiency of the Ministry of External Affairs.” The letter written on Monday read, “From the moment we brought this matter to your attention, your office demonstrated a commitment to addressing our concerns promptly. The communication received from Secretary Consular of the Indian Embassy in Tehran, Harendra Singh, and the subsequent updates from Under Secretary Arun Kumar from your office were instrumental in keeping us informed and assured throughout the repatriation process.”

He also hailed the response of the Indian authorities for the unwavering support and said, “The repatriation, facilitated by Mahan Air flight No. W5 071 on January 19, 2024, exemplifies the compassion and dedication of your ministry in ensuring the return of our fellow countrymen.” As per the letter written to EAM Jaishankar, after the necessary post-mortem and formalities, Arsalan’s body was respectfully brought back to India and reached Srinagar, and eventually to his native village in Sopore.

It added, “The entire process, from your office’s communication to the final repatriation, demonstrated a seamless and well-coordinated effort on behalf of the MEA…Once again, thank you, Dr S Jaishankar, for your prompt and empathetic response in this challenging time.”

The matter was brought to the attention of EAM and the Consular Wing of the Embassy in Tehran who then got in touch with the students, the Iranian authorities and officials of the educational institute.

The mortal remains were repatriated by a Mahan Air flight on January 19.