'Delay' row over tragedy

BAHRAIN: A RELATIVE of a welder, whose body is yet to be repatriated two weeks after he died following a worksite accident, plans to go on a hunger strike outside the company to speed up the process. Sri Lankan Amal Priyantha Suje, 33, was welding an empty chemical drum at boat building company Al Dhaen Craft, in Sitra, when it blew up in his face on July 10.

He was taken to Salmaniya Medical Complex and kept in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks, before being transferred to a general ward.However, Suje died from his injuries on September 12 and now his wife of seven years, Champa Sudharshani, says she is desperate to get his body home.

She says his body is still lying in the morgue due to on-going paperwork. His cousin Sankar, who also works in Bahrain, now plans to go on a hunger strike outside the company to put an end to his family's ordeal.

"When I spoke to the company management, they said they were waiting for a letter from the Sitra Police Station," said Sudharshani. "The company previously asked me to provide a marriage certificate and picture to prove I was his real wife.

"After getting all the documents from me, they paid his two years' vacation salary and two-months' salary.

I am also waiting to get the insurance money from the company before I leave Bahrain for good.

"But it's not about the money, I just want my husband's body, since our family is waiting in Sri Lanka." A company spokeswoman said that there was confusion whether Sudharshani was his wife, as the couple didn't submit their marriage certificate to the company and she was not on its visa.

"Mr Suje didn't submit any legal documents to the company proving she was his wife and that's may be the main cause for the delay," she said.

Sankar, who did not want his full name published, said he was regularly in contact with the company to follow up the case.

He claims that there was a delay because the company didn't report the case to the police at the time of the incident. "If they informed the police about the incident, it would have been easy for us to take his body," he said. "His elderly parents and other family members are desperately waiting to receive his body. They are constantly calling and inquiring about the delay."

Sankar said that he was keeping in touch with the company everyday and pledged to go on a hunger strike outside the company on Wednesday so that the matter "is taken seriously". Meanwhile, Sri Lankan honorary consul general P B Higgoda blamed the company for the delays.

"They should understand the emotions of the family, who are waiting to see him for the last time," said Higgoda."Unfortunately, we can't do anything, unless we receive complete legal documents from the company."

Gulf Daily News