Mortal Remains of Kashmiri Student Who Died in Iran to Arrive in Delhi Tonight: JKSA

Srinagar, Aug 22 — The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Friday confirmed that the mortal remains of Kashmiri MBBS student Late Sabha Rasool, who tragically passed away in Iran, will be flown back to India tonight.

According to JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami, her body is being repatriated on Mahan Air Flight No. W5 071, scheduled to depart at 5:00 PM (IST) and is expected to reach Delhi Airport late this evening. From there, it will be transported to Srinagar by early tomorrow morning and taken to her native place in Safakadal, Srinagar, where her last rites will be performed as per tradition.

The Association has urged former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Sogami to ensure ambulance transportation and other necessary arrangements at Srinagar Airport to facilitate a dignified transfer.

However, the bereaved family has alleged that no support was extended by the government in their hour of grief. They said they were compelled to shoulder all formalities and logistics themselves — from documentation to transportation — and even paid nearly ten times the normal airfare for the repatriation. The only assistance, they said, came from the Indian Embassy in Iran, which helped with initial paperwork.

“Such moments of grief should be met with compassion and institutional support, not unbearable burdens,” JKSA said, adding that when another Kashmiri student, Arsalan Kanjwal from Sopore, passed away in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had borne the full cost of his repatriation.

Khuehami has appealed to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to personally intervene and reimburse Sabha’s family for the extraordinary expenses incurred. He also urged the MEA to establish a formal support mechanism to provide financial, logistical, and humanitarian assistance to families of Kashmiri students and other Indian nationals who lose their lives abroad.

“This compassionate intervention will not only bring relief to Sabha’s grieving family but also reaffirm the government’s commitment to standing by its citizens in their darkest hours,” the Association said.