Indian sailor dies in Venezuela; wife alleges murder, organ theft

The wife of deceased Indian sailor Rakesh Chauhan alleges he was murdered in Venezuela and his organs were removed. A second post-mortem in India revealed no organs in the body, prompting the family and a seamen's union to demand an investigation.

Wife of deceased Indian sailor Rakesh Chauhan, Ranjana said that he died under suspicious circumstances in Venezuela and the company representatives were dismissive. Ranjana, in a conversation with ANI, alleged that he was murdered there, and his organs were removed.

"My husband had gone to work on a ship; he was murdered there, and his organs were removed. To this day, they haven't given us a proper report, despite our repeated requests. They didn't even return his personal belongings; they wouldn't even speak to us properly; the company representatives were dismissive," she said.

"We were just expecting the body to arrive. When we had a second post-mortem done here, the report revealed that not a single organ remained in the body. We lodged complaints everywhere, with the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi and other relevant authorities, but nothing came of it... I last spoke to him on 6 May... I think it was only two or three hours after he left for duty that my father-in-law received a call saying there had been an accident and that they were taking him to the hospital," she added.

Post-Mortem Reveals Horrifying Truth

The Forward Seamen's Union of India also said that not a single organ was found in the body of Rakesh Chauhan. Brain, heart, both lungs, kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach, intestines, thyroid, hyoid, larynx and trachea were all reportedly missing.

Union Demands Urgent Intervention

"SHOCKING CASE -- Indian Seafarer Rakesh Chauhan reported dead in Venezuela. Mortal remains sent back to his hometown in Uttar Pradesh without any autopsy report or details from Venezuelan authorities. Family demanded re-autopsy. The official Post-Mortem Report conducted in India reveals a horrifying truth: NOT A SINGLE ORGAN was found in the body." ⚠️ SHOCKING CASE — Indian Seafarer #RakeshChauhan reported dead in #Venezuela. Mortal remains sent back to his hometown in Uttar Pradesh without any autopsy report or details from Venezuelan authorities. Family demanded re-autopsy. The official Post-Mortem Report conducted in… pic.twitter.com/4dGSZtPEfp — FSUI (@FSUIINDIA) June 30, 2026

The FSUI urged the Embassy of India in Venezuela and MEA intervene urgently. The family of late Indian seafarer #RakeshChauhan is demanding the full autopsy report and immediate clarification on several deeply disturbing irregularities in the handling of his case in Venezuela. Serious questions that need answers: • Why were vital organs removed from his… pic.twitter.com/9sfCm5kb9A — FSUI (@FSUIINDIA) July 1, 2026

Allegations of Forgery and Discrepancies

The FSUI also alleged that the receipt for mortal remains was forged. "The receipt for mortal remains was forged -- signed in the name of "Anjana Chauraisya" instead of "Ranjana Chaurasiya" (on behalf of his wife). The vessel name mentioned in the employment agreement does not match the vessel where he was actually posted," it said. (ANI)

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