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Family seeks probe after autopsy finds missing organs in Indian seafarer's body
A re-autopsy in India raised questions over the circumstances surrounding his death in Venezuela.
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IANS - Wed, 01, Jul 2026
- 05:34 EDT
- 31
Rakesh Chauhan, an Indian seafarer who died in Venezuela. / IANS
The family of an Indian seafarer who allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Venezuela in May has claimed that several of his internal organs, including the brain, heart and lungs, were missing when his body was repatriated to India. The Federation of Seafarers' Unions of India (FSUI) has called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The allegations surfaced after a re-autopsy was conducted in India on the body of 33-year-old Rakesh Chauhan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, whose remains were repatriated nearly a month after his death.
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According to the family, the re-autopsy found several vital organs missing, raising questions about the circumstances of his death and the handling of his remains.
In a post on X, the Federation of Seafarers' Unions of India said Chauhan's body was returned to his hometown without an autopsy report or official documentation from Venezuelan authorities explaining the cause of death.
The organization said the post-mortem conducted in India found the brain, heart, lungs and several other internal organs missing. It also said the body bore extensive stitching and that the cause of death could not be determined because of the absence of the organs.
The federation said the condition in which the body was returned raises concerns about transparency, the treatment of Indian seafarers working abroad and accountability.
It called for a full investigation, intervention by the Indian Embassy in Venezuela, the release of the Venezuelan autopsy report, and compensation for the family.
According to the family, Chauhan traveled to Venezuela in November 2025 as a crew member aboard a merchant vessel.
Family members alleged that company officials initially told them Chauhan had been injured after falling aboard the vessel and was receiving treatment. The following day, they were informed that his condition was critical, and later that he had died from injuries sustained in the fall.
The family also alleged that although the shipping company had assured them the body would be returned within a week, his remains reached India on June 4, nearly a month after his death.
According to an NDTV report, doctors in Deoria initially declined to conduct a post-mortem, saying the body appeared to have already undergone an autopsy and that a fresh examination required official approval.
A re-autopsy was subsequently conducted following directions from the district magistrate.
The post-mortem report noted incisions extending from the neck to the pubic symphysis and across the back of the head. It also recorded the absence of the brain, thyroid, hyoid bone, larynx, trachea, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, spleen, kidneys and several other organs.
Medical experts note that some organs may be removed during an autopsy for forensic examination.
However, neither Venezuelan authorities nor the shipping company has provided the family with an official autopsy report or a detailed explanation of the cause and circumstances of Chauhan's death, according to the family.
The family has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
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