Indian Seafarer Killed in Black Sea Attack Returns Home, Family Refuses Last Rites Until Justice Is Done

Eighteen days after Merchant Navy Chief Officer Sagar Gupta lost his life in a drone attack in the Black Sea during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, his mortal remains finally reached his hometown of Kanpur on Wednesday. However, instead of proceeding with his final journey, his grieving family has refused to perform the last rites, demanding that the government first recognise his sacrifice.

The family has sought martyr status, Rs 2 crore as compensation, and a government job for his wife, arguing that Gupta died while carrying out his professional duty in a war-hit region. Until these demands are addressed, his body has been placed in a deep freezer at the family's residence.

Heartbreaking scenes unfolded in Shastri Nagar as Gupta's wife Shalu, mother Ramadevi, and relatives broke down after seeing the coffin. Draping the coffin with the Tricolour, Gupta's elder brother Manish Gupta said the family had requested official honours but had received no assurance from the authorities.

His niece Puja Gupta questioned the delay in bringing back the body, saying it took nearly 18 days for the remains to reach India. She described Gupta as a hero who sacrificed his own life after first helping eight crew members reach safety before he was struck in a second drone attack on the commercial vessel MV Omorfi on July 18.

Puja insisted that Gupta deserved to be declared a martyr, adding that his wife now faces the responsibility of raising their five-year-old daughter and eight-month-old son alone. She also warned that the family would not allow the cremation until their demands were met.

According to the family, Gupta last spoke to his wife on July 17. Four days later, they were informed by one of his colleagues that the vessel had come under a drone attack in the Black Sea and that he had been killed. They said representatives of the shipping company later confirmed the incident.

Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said the district administration, in coordination with the Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs, facilitated the repatriation of Gupta's body. He confirmed that the family had postponed the last rites because of their demands and said the matter was being looked into.

Several public representatives and senior officials, including local MPs, MLAs and district officials, visited the bereaved family to offer condolences.

Gupta is survived by his wife, two young children, his mother, elder brother and other family members, who continue to await what they believe would be a fitting recognition of his sacrifice.