The Tragic Story of Sunil Sah
In the heart of Ramgopalpur Municipality-7 of Mahottari, a modest dwelling stands amidst sturdy concrete houses. Enclosed by bamboo fencing on a small plot of land, it is home to 50-year-old Somshila Devi Sah. Seated in the front courtyard, she stares blankly, her world frozen for over two years. Her husband, Birendra Sah, aged 52, describes her state: “She wants to speak to no one. It has been over two years since she last laughed. She has lost her appetite and cannot sleep through the night.”
The cause of their anguish is the tragic death of their 21-year-old son, Sunil Sah, who died in a fire at his workplace in Saudi Arabia. His body remains stuck there, with no clear timeline for its return.
A Dream Cut Short
Sunil’s journey to Saudi Arabia was driven by the dream of replacing their bamboo-walled hut with a permanent brick house. He was recruited through Frontline Recruitment Pvt Ltd and worked as a laborer at Bunyan Industrial Company Limited in Al-Kharj. Earning a monthly salary of 1,000 Riyals, he sent home between Rs30,000 and Rs40,000 every month, providing a lifeline for the family.
However, on March 11, 2024, a catastrophic fire broke out at his workplace, claiming the lives of three workers, including Sunil. The intensity of the blaze burned the bodies beyond recognition, making identification difficult.
The Struggle for Identification
In Saudi Arabia, repatriating a body requires three important documents: a police report, a death certificate, and a medical report. Due to the lack of visual identification, DNA testing became necessary. However, the process was stalled due to a lack of official communication.
The Nepali Embassy in Riyadh received the official notification of Sunil’s death after eight months. During this period, they followed up with the company and police weekly, only to be told that the reports were not ready each time.
On November 25, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia sent an urgent letter to the Nepali Embassy, requesting DNA samples from relatives. The embassy notified the Department of Consular Services in Kathmandu, and Birendra was summoned to provide a blood sample.
The DNA Deadlock
Three months after the Saudi request, the DNA report reached the embassy in Riyadh. However, the report had to be formally submitted through multiple departments before reaching the local station. Despite repeated follow-ups, the Dilam police stated that the DNA match with the father was only 50 percent, requiring a sample from the mother.
Standard forensic practice prioritizes maternal DNA, but this detail was overlooked. Frustrated by the delay, the embassy requested if the current match would suffice, but the request was denied.
The Battle for Compensation
According to Saudi labour laws, employers must enroll workers in the GOSI. In the event of a workplace death, the family is entitled to a payout equivalent to 84 months of salary, capped at 330,000 Saudi Riyals. However, claiming these benefits requires a complete set of documents, including the elusive police report and death certificate.
Dwarika Upreti, executive director of the Foreign Employment Board, noted that 1,019 bodies of Nepali workers were repatriated from Saudi Arabia in the past three years. Employers usually bear the cost of repatriation, while the board covers costs for those stranded due to financial constraints.
A Lingering Hope
Despite the challenges, the Sah family continues to hope for the return of Sunil’s body. Somshila recently traveled to Kathmandu to provide her DNA sample, and the family awaits the results. Once the report is received, the cycle will begin again: the embassy to the foreign ministry, to the interior ministry, to the police headquarters, to forensics, and finally to Dilam.
For now, the Sahs remain in limbo, clinging to the hope that their son’s body will soon return home.
