Venezuela returns seafarer’s body missing vital organs

The family of an Indian seafarer who died in Venezuela is demanding an investigation after a postmortem conducted in India found that all of his major internal organs were missing from his repatriated body. The case has prompted a major seafarers' union to call for diplomatic intervention and a full explanation from Venezuelan authorities.

Rakesh Chauhan, a 33-year-old marine fitter from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, died in May while working aboard the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Eliak. He had been sent to Venezuela by the Navi Mumbai-based company Xfinity Maritime Services after joining the Merchant Navy in November 2025.

According to his family, they were first contacted by the company on May 7 and told Chauhan had fallen on the ship and sustained injuries. The following day, they were informed his condition was critical with only a five percent chance of survival. Later that same evening, the company reported he had died, allegedly from a heart attack following the fall.

Chauhan's body was returned to his hometown in Deoria on June 4, nearly a month after his death. The family stated they received no autopsy report or official details from Venezuelan authorities regarding...