Memory-impaired Bengaluru man deported from Kuwait lands in Kochi, goes missing
A 59-year-old man from Bengaluru, who suffered memory loss after decades of working in Kuwait, has gone missing after being deported and mistakenly sent to Kochi instead of his hometown.
Suraj Lama, who had worked in the hotel industry in Kuwait, reportedly developed memory and speech impairments due to alcohol poisoning. On October 4, Kuwaiti authorities deported him via Jazeera Airways, but he was sent to Kochi instead of Bengaluru, according to the Times of India.
Lama arrived at Cochin International Airport on October 5, walked out of the terminal, and boarded a bus. He was later taken to a government hospital in Kalamassery, Kochi, but walked out only 20 minutes after admission, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
On October 8, upon realizing he had been sent to Kochi, his family filed a missing person complaint at the Kochi airport police station. His son, Santon Lama, reported that his father was seen at Aluva metro station and later near Thrikkakara, where police briefly took him into custody. Santon also said an auto driver claimed to have spotted his father near Kalamassery on October 15.
Santon has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court, which has directed the police to respond.
The Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC) has called on India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to investigate the deportation and disappearance, noting that Suraj Lama’s family was not informed of the deportation. Sudheer Thirunilath, PLC spokesperson, said it is “a matter of grave concern how a reportedly disoriented person managed to clear immigration and leave the airport with only his passport.”
Suraj Lama had been receiving treatment in Kuwait for memory loss and related medical conditions, and his deportation was reportedly triggered by the non-renewal of his visa due to illness.
The case has sparked concern over the welfare of vulnerable expatriates and the handling of medical and legal procedures in deportation cases.
