India Seeks Venezuelan Investigation Into Alleged Organ Removal From Seafarer’s Body
Caracas– The Indian Embassy in Caracas has asked Venezuelan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into allegations that organs were removed from the body of an Indian seafarer before his remains were repatriated.
The embassy said it has been pursuing the case with local authorities since the allegations involving the remains of Rakesh Chauhan first emerged.
“The Embassy of India, Caracas has sought a thorough investigation by Venezuelan authorities on the desecration and removal of organs of the mortal remains of late Shri. Rakesh Chauhan. Mission has continued to pursue this matter with the concerned local authorities since the incident came to light,” the embassy said in a post on X.
Chauhan, a 33-year-old resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district, reportedly died in Venezuela in May after suffering an alleged cardiac arrest. His body was returned to India nearly a month later.
His family alleged that a second autopsy conducted in India found that several vital organs, including his brain, heart and lungs, were missing.
The Federation of Seafarers’ Unions of India has also called for a comprehensive investigation into Chauhan’s death and the handling of his remains.
In a statement posted on X, the federation alleged that the body was repatriated without an autopsy report or official documentation from Venezuelan authorities explaining the cause of death.
The union said the post-mortem examination in India revealed “a horrifying truth,” alleging that none of Chauhan’s organs were found in the body, including the brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, stomach and intestines.
It also said the body had extensive stitching marks and that the cause of death could not be determined because the organs were missing.
The federation called the situation unacceptable and demanded accountability, transparency and a detailed investigation by Venezuelan authorities. It also urged the Indian Embassy in Caracas to intervene and seek the release of complete autopsy records and further information about the circumstances surrounding Chauhan’s death.
According to his family, Chauhan traveled to Venezuela in November 2025 as a crew member aboard a merchant vessel.
The case has also prompted concerns about the treatment of Indian seafarers overseas and the need for stronger safeguards, documentation and accountability when deaths occur abroad. (Source: IANS)
