Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], October 4 (ANI): The mortal remains of yoga teacher Raja Kumar Verma, who was killed in a road accident in Vietnam, were brought to Ranchi and received by his grieving family on Saturday.
Verma, a resident of Ranchi, was working as a yoga instructor at an academy in Da Lat, Vietnam. He had been living and working in the country for around two years and was supporting his family through his work there.
The accident took place in Da Lat on September 25 when Verma and his friend and fellow yoga instructor, Vinay Kumar Rai from Jamshedpur, were returning after work. Their two-wheeler collided with a car after reportedly skidding on a wet road. Verma died in the accident, while Rai succumbed to his injuries at a hospital two days later.
The deaths left two families in Jharkhand facing the difficult task of bringing their loved ones’ mortal remains back from Vietnam. The families had earlier expressed their inability to bear the expenses involved in repatriation. Friends of the deceased and members of the Indian community in Vietnam also pooled funds to help meet the expenses.
Verma’s family had earlier sought government assistance, with reports putting the estimated cost of bringing his mortal remains back to Ranchi at around Rs 20 lakh. His father, Umesh Verma, an electrician, had said that his son was supporting the family financially through his work in Vietnam.
Following coordination between the Jharkhand government, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy and Vietnamese authorities, the repatriation process was completed. The mortal remains were brought from Vietnam to Kolkata and subsequently transported to Ranchi by ambulance.
JMM MP Mahua Maji, who was present at Verma’s residence in Ranchi, expressed condolences to the bereaved family and described him as a promising and well-mannered young man.
“Such a promising young man from the family. The entire neighbourhood speaks of what a well-mannered boy he was. A calamity of immense proportions has befallen this household,” Maji said.
She also referred to the fact that Verma’s mortal remains arrived home on the day of Jitiya, a festival during which people traditionally pray for the well-being of their sons.
“And the most poignant detail is that today is the day of ‘Jitiya’—a festival where people pray for the well-being of their sons—yet on a day like this, the young man’s body has arrived home,” she said.
“May God grant peace to his soul and give the family the strength to cope,” Maji added.
Maji further said that efforts were being made to ensure financial assistance for the bereaved family.
“We are also making every effort to ensure the government provides some compensation,” she said.
The Jharkhand government has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each of the two deceased yoga instructors. (ANI)
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