Indian expat businessman dies in Mumbai, to be flown into Dubai for cremation

Dubai: In an extraordinary display of compassion and collaborations, authorities from the UAE and India have come together to help a grieving family fulfill the final wish of a long-term Indian expat businessman in the UAE to be cremated in Dubai after his death in Mumbai.

The mortal remains of Hemchand Chaturbhuj Das Gandhi were scheduled to be flown into Dubai on Thursday night after authorities issued permissions to cremate him here on Friday, his son Manish Hemchand Gandhi told Gulf News over the phone from India.

Founder and owner of Dubai-based MH Group, Hemchand lived in the UAE for six decades and passed away while on a short trip to his hometown Mumbai on Tuesday. He was 85 and is survived by his wife Rita and children Manish, Shilpa and Jalpa.

“He was in good health when he went down to Mumbai,” said Manish. “Just two days back, he told my mum, ‘If something happens to me, you must take me to Dubai for my final rites,’” Manish recalled just before boarding his flight.

He said that he did not find any particular reason except the fact that his father had experienced a mild chest pain three to four days earlier. “But it went off soon and he recovered quickly. On Monday night, he even went out for dinner. But early in the morning, he suffered a severe heart attack,” Manish said.

At the time of the incident, his mother and their housemaid were present. “They rushed him to the nearby hospital emergency, but he couldn’t be saved,” he said.

Hemchand passed away on the same day he was supposed to fly back to Dubai. The family had booked their tickets for Tuesday night.

A big challenge

Honouring his father’s last wish to bring his body to Dubai was, however, a big challenge for Manish. “I had to struggle a lot as there was no protocol in place for bringing a body from India to the UAE,” he explained.

“I knocked on every door and ran around, but I am so grateful that all the authorities were kind. I managed to get all the clearances in just two days and I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped,” he added.

First experience

Naseer Vatanappally, an Indian social worker known for supporting Indian expats with repatriation of mortal remains from the UAE to India, said it was for the first time that he dealt with a case of an Indian’s body being flown back to the UAE for final rites.

“This is the first time I am hearing about such a case. I am deeply touched by the kindness of both the UAE and Indian authorities, who have provided all the clearances to bring his body to Dubai tonight. I am sure this is a testament to his love for and service to Dubai. His cremation is scheduled to take place at the New Sonapur Crematorium in Jebel Ali tomorrow afternoon,” he said.

The procedures required issuance of at least a dozen approvals from authorities including but not limited to Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai Police, Home Department of Maharashtra, UAE Consulate in Mumbai, Indian Consulate in Dubai, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality.