Indian expat family permitted to cremate son, who died in UK bike crash, in UAE

Sharjah: A former Indian expat student in the UAE, who tragically died in a motorbike crash in the UK on July 25, will now be laid to rest in Sharjah after UAE authorities granted his family permission to cremate him here.

Justin Pereira, grieving father of Jefferson Justin, 27, on Wednesday confirmed to Gulf News that the family had received the necessary clearances to bring Jefferson’s mortal remains back to the UAE, fulfilling their final wish.

“Everything moved fast,” said Justin, a senior accountant from the south Indian state of Kerala, who has worked with the Sharjah government for 33 years.

Expressing the family’s gratitude to the UAE authorities, he said: “From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank everyone who helped us. Our special thanks to the officials with the Sharjah government and the UAE Embassy in the UK.”

“Everyone he loved is here. His mind is here… His heart is here… Let him be in these surroundings,” he added, explaining why the family wished for the cremation to take place in Sharjah, where Jefferson, a graphic designer, was born and raised.

The cremation is scheduled to be held at the crematorium run by the Indian Association Sharjah on Thursday.

"Due to the sudden nature of recent events, funeral arrangements were made on short notice. We kindly ask for privacy during this time. The service will be a small, private gathering with close family and friends. Thank you for understanding," the family stated on social media.

Jefferson's heartbroken friends in the UAE have been visiting the family daily, offering support and comfort. “Some of them have been visiting almost every day to check on us,” said Justin.

He said the family was slowly coming to terms with their irreplaceable loss. “We have to accept the reality…,” he added.

The family is still awaiting the results of the investigation into the crash as lab reports have not been released yet.

Fondly called Jeff, Jefferson, a former student at Emirates National School in Sharjah, had moved to the UK to pursue a master's in graphic design at Coventry University. He had then secured a job and was living in Leeds, where he met with the fatal accident while returning from work on July 25.

According to the UK police, the crash occurred on Wellington Road in Leeds shortly after 5:30pm local time, when Jefferson’s motorbike reportedly skidded while negotiating a turn and collided with a wall.

His father earlier described him as a smart and independent young man who had carved his own path in life. “He was good at his work. He found his own way.”

Jeff had secretly booked a flight to return home to Sharjah for good just hours before the accident, a revelation that has made the loss even more devastating for his loved ones. Along with his father and two of his close friends, who grew up with him in Sharjah, he had planned a surprise for his mother and others upon his return.

“He was actually leaving the UK for good. He had crazy plans… He wanted to start something of his own,” his friend Rahul Sivaji had said.

Jeff’s passions ranged from rapping and dance to design and motorcycles. But those close to him stress that biking was never about speed, but about freedom and leisure.

“He was always smiling, always full of life,” his friend Dinoop Suresh had recalled. “His smile genuinely lit up every room. That’s not just something people say. It is who he was.”

Jeff’s memory now lives on in the hearts of his family and friends, and soon, in the land where he grew up.