Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia has written to Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar seeking his intervention in bringing home the body of a 24-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior who had died in China last month, his office said on Wednesday.
In the letter dated December 29, Mr. Scindia, who hails from Gwalior, said that he has received a request from one Surendra Singh Kushwaha, a Gwalior resident, whose son, Prabal Kushwaha had died in China and the family has demanded that his body be brought back.
As per reports, Prabal’s body was found hanging last week. Even though the Chinese authorities have claimed that he took his own life, the victim’s family has alleged foul play.
In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Draupadi Murmu and Mr. Scindia, Mr. Surendra Singh Kushwaha said that his son had gone to Beijing in March, 2023, to teach yoga at a centre there.
He claimed that the family had not been able to get in touch with Prabal since December 20, and that on December 23, the Indian Embassy informed them about his death.
The victim’s father requested Mr. Scindia to ensure the return of Prabal’s body and belongings as well as an enquiry into the circumstances of his death.
Prabal’s family has reportedly alleged foul play suspecting the involvement of a Chinese woman who he had met during a yoga course in Bengaluru.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, one Sunaina Singh, who said she was Prabal’s cousin, claimed that the Chinese woman named Rosie alias She Chang and Prabal were business partners and alleged that the two had had a “heated argument” about two months ago over a financial dispute.
“It is very suspicious that an Indian Yoga therapist died in China, with no note, apparently. There was no sign of him struggling in daily life,” she wrote in the post.
An official at Mr. Scindia’s office said that the Ministry of External Affairs has issued necessary instructions to the Indian Embassy in the matter and that the Embassy was in touch with the victim’s family to bring back the body.
Speaking to The Hindu, Prabal’s brother-in-law Chitvendra Singh said that he was planning on coming to India in January for a yoga session in Rishikesh.
“He was also planning to wrap-up things in China and set up his own yoga centre in India. He was considering places like Gurugram for his investment,” Mr. Singh said.
“The Chinese police has told the Embassy that he was found dead in his yoga studio but refused to share the CCTV footage with them,” he said, claiming that the family was unaware of Prabal being under any kind of stress.
Prabal was the youngest son among two daughters to his parents. His father runs a tour and travels business in Gwalior.
“His mother has fallen extremely sick ever since we have gotten the new. All she wants now is to see her only son one last time,” Mr. Singh added.
