The final rites of 23-year-old medical intern Saptarshi Das were delayed for three agonizing days after his body remained stuck in Delhi because multiple IndiGo flights were cancelled. His family, already shattered by his sudden death, spent days pleading for assistance while struggling to bring him home to Agartala.
The tragedy began on 3 December 2025, when Saptarshi and three of his friends died in a devastating road accident on the Delhi Lucknow National Highway. Their car reportedly rammed into a stationary truck in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district. All four young medical professionals died on the spot.
Saptarshi, a resident of Ramnagar in Agartala, was completing his MBBS internship at a private hospital in Lucknow. He had only three months left before completing his degree.
After the postmortem in Delhi, the family made arrangements to fly the body back to Agartala for the last rites. What they did not expect was a series of sudden and repeated flight cancellations caused by the ongoing IndiGo operational crisis.
Each time the family was promised a seat on an alternate flight, the flight was cancelled again at the last moment. They moved between the mortuary, the airport and temporary accommodation in Delhi for three days, hoping for a resolution that never came. Saptarshi’s mother said the repeated promises and cancellations broke them emotionally when all they wanted was to take their son home.
As a result, the body remained in a Delhi mortuary for three full days, leaving the family unable to begin the final rituals that held deep cultural and emotional significance.
When it became clear that no flights would be available, the family hired a mortuary van for a road journey from Delhi to Agartala. Two cousins and Saptarshi’s maternal uncle accompanied the body on the nearly 2,500 kilometer trip. They began the journey early Saturday morning and travelled continuously across states to ensure he finally reached home.
On 9 December 2025, Saptarshi’s body arrived in Ramnagar. His final rites were conducted at Battala crematorium, where relatives, neighbours and state leaders came to pay their respects. Chief Minister Manik Saha, Agartala Mayor Dipak Mujumdar and MLA Sudip Roy Barman all visited the grieving family.
The incident has intensified public frustration over the aviation disruption affecting thousands across India. For Saptarshi’s family, the crisis did not just cause inconvenience. It prolonged their suffering and denied them the dignity of a timely farewell.
(Rh/ARC)
