THE DEATH of a 33-year-old Indian seafarer in Venezuela has taken a shocking turn. In May 2026, Rakesh Chauhan, 33, was reported to have died of a cardiac arrest while on duty. After the news of his death, his family had to wait for nearly a month till June 4, 2026 to receive his mortal remains. However, after conducting a second postmortem in Uttar Pradesh, Chauhan's family were told by the doctors that his body was missing all internal organs, leaving them unable to determine the exact cause of death.

The family of Rakesh Chauhan, a merchant navy sailor from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, has demanded a thorough investigation into his death, alleging that they were kept in the dark about what happened to him overseas. The Federation of Seafarers' Unions of India (FSUI) has also sought immediate intervention by the Indian government, calling the case "unacceptable" and demanding accountability from the Venezuelan authorities.

According to the family, Chauhan had travelled to Venezuela in November 2025 as part of the crew of a merchant vessel after being recruited by a company identified as Xfinity. His wife, Ranjana Chauhan claims she last spoke to her husband on May 6, 2026. Two or three hours after the call, her wife alleges that the company informed them that Rakesh had suffered injuries after falling onboard the ship and was undergoing treatment. The next morning, they were allegedly told that there was a 95 per cent chance he would not survive. By the evening, the company called them to inform that Rakesh had died.

The family claimed that when they sought details about the death, company officials told them Chauhan had succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the fall. They were also assured that his body would be returned within a week. However, the remains reportedly reached his hometown only on June 4, nearly a month after his death.

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Disturbing Results from the Second Post-Mortem

According to the family, doctors initially refused to conduct another post-mortem after noticing that an autopsy appeared to have already been performed. According to NDTV report, the doctors informed the police that a fresh examination could not be carried out without official permission. It was only after the approval from the District Magistrate that a second post-mortem was eventually conducted.

According to the post-mortem report, doctors found extensive surgical stitching running from the neck to the pubic region, measuring around 60 centimetres, along with another stitched incision extending from one ear to the other across the back of the head. The report also noted that the body had remained in deep freeze from May 7 to June 5.

The most striking revelation by the doctors was that Chauhan's brain, heart, both lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, intestines, pancreas, thyroid, larynx, trachea and several other internal organs were missing. Since none of the vital organs were available for examination, the doctors stated that the exact cause of death could not be determined.

The autopsy report also noted that no external ante-mortem (before death) injuries were found on the body, posing questions on the Venezuelan authorities.

When asked about the reason for missing organs, medical experts told NDTV that organs are routinely removed during a forensic autopsy for examination, especially in suspicious or unexplained deaths. However, the controversy in Chauhan's case centres on the absence of any official autopsy report or explanation from Venezuelan authorities regarding what examinations were carried out and why the organs were not available when the body was sent back to the family

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Seafarers Union, Chauhan Family Demands Govt Intervention

The Federation of Seafarers' Unions of India (FSUI) has strongly condemned how the case has been handled, saying the condition in which Chauhan's body was returned raises serious questions about transparency and the treatment of Indian seafarers working abroad.

In a statement posted on X, the union said the body was repatriated without any autopsy report or details from the Venezuelan authorities. It alleged that the Indian post-mortem revealed that "not a single organ" was present inside the body.

Calling the incident "unacceptable", the union demanded: “(1) Full investigation & accountability from Venezuelan authorities. (2) Immediate intervention by the Indian Embassy in Venezuela. (3) Complete autopsy report, circumstances of death, and justice + compensation for the family.”

Meanwhile, Chauhan's father, Ram Dev Chauhan, has urged the government to investigate both the shipping company and the circumstances under which his son's body was returned. "We were kept in the dark," he said to NDTV. “An initial post-mortem had already been conducted, but a second one – ordered by the district magistrate – revealed that organs were missing from the body, and the cause of death could not be determined. We demand that the government take action against the company and conduct an investigation.”

Ranjana Chauhan, wife of Rakesh, also gave the details about the interaction with the Venezuelan company after her husband’s death, alleging that he was murdered. While speaking to ANI, she said, “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.”

Ranjana said that she has filed complaints with the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi and other relevant authorities, but nothing has came of it so far. Recalling her last conversation with Rakesh, she said, “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.”

As of now, neither the Venezuelan authorities nor the company that recruited Chauhan have publicly issued any clarification.

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