Punjab man dies in Italy 2 months ago; family demands his body be brought back

A 40-year-old man, hailing from Kapurthala’s Nadala village, has been reported dead in Italy with the family claiming that the body has been lying at a church there for the last two months.

The deceased identified as Manjit Singh, had gone to Italy five years ago and was working at a farm there. He had not spoken to his family from last few months. The relatives received the news of Manjit’s death through a Tik Tok video, which was seen by one of his sisters.

Manjit’s mother Hans Kaur said, “For the last four months, I hadn't talked to my son. On Sunday morning, I got to know from the relatives that he is no more. He had come to India a year ago and returned… I just want to know what happened there. We request the Indian authorities to bring his body back.”

He was the sole breadwinner in the family after his father’s death last year, said Manjit’s cousin Harpreet Singh.

“One of his sisters at Hamirwal saw a video on Tik Tok through which we got to know of his death,” he said.

In the video, someone showed an unclaimed body of a man and was seeking that he be identified. The man looked like Manjit, he added.

“While there are reports that he has been cremated there, but we haven't received any video or proof of that yet… We request our brothers in Italy to share information regarding Manjit and tell us what happened to him,” said Harpreet.

Manjit is survived by two children and wife, who live separately.