Overview
- Merchant Navy chief officer Sagar Gupta was killed in a drone strike on the commercial vessel MV OMORFI on July 18, according to family and local reports.
- His body reached Kanpur nearly three weeks later and was handed to the family after district officials wrote to the Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs and the Centre arranged repatriation.
- The family is keeping the remains in a deep freezer and will not perform cremation until the government grants 'martyr' status, pays ₹2 crore in compensation, and gives a government job to the widow.
- Relatives say Gupta showed exceptional courage by helping eight crew members to safety before he was struck, and local elected officials and senior administrators visited the home to offer condolences.
- The standoff raises questions about the procedures for returning remains from conflict zones, the benefits available to merchant seafarers killed at sea, and whether the government will set a formal precedent on recognition and compensation.