Marine Engineer’s Death In Iran, Wrong Body Sent Home, And Family’s Fight For Justice

A tragic accident aboard an Iranian cargo vessel has left a Jharkhand family grappling with heartbreak, confusion, and bureaucratic delays—more than three months after the incident, the Indian Express reported.

On March 27, 2025, 33-year-old Alakh Nandan Mahto, a marine engineer from Tartara village in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, died in a workplace accident aboard MV Rasa, docked at Iran’s Charak Port, the Indian Express reported. The vessel was operated by BND Yat Ship Management Services, a company licensed by India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping). Two other Indian engineers were involved—one killed and another seriously injured.

What should have been a straightforward process of repatriation and compensation spiraled into a nightmare. The Mahto family was initially sent the wrong body, and despite repeated pleas, they say they’ve been met with silence and vague assurances.

“All we received was an email in May saying the company ‘needs time’,” said Raghu Mahto, Alakh’s younger brother to the Indian Express. “Since then, no official from the company, DG Shipping, or even the state government has told us when or whether we’ll receive compensation.”

DG Shipping maintains that it took action against the company in late 2024, suspending BND Yat’s license over regulatory violations. However, questions remain over how the firm continued to deploy Indian seafarers as late as March 2025.

“The immigration records show my brother was assigned to another ship, but he died on MV Rasa. How does this mix-up happen? Isn’t it the DG Shipping’s job to track this?” Raghu asked.

Senior DG Shipping official Anita Sinha acknowledged the case's complexity, noting that Alakh’s name was listed against a different vessel. “We are treating this matter with the utmost priority. The issue has been taken up with Indian missions abroad and the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club,” she said.

Despite the reassurances, the family’s ordeal is far from over. After the accident, they rushed to DG Shipping’s Mumbai headquarters, only to find no official record or acknowledgment of Alakh’s death. Since then, their efforts to get clarity or closure have hit repeated dead ends.

Alakh, a mechanical engineering graduate from Chennai, had joined the marine industry with dreams of a life at sea. After completing the DG Shipping-approved Graduate Marine Engineering (GME) course, he worked on contract roles in Iran, Kolkata, and the Andamans. His last posting was with BND Yat in August 2024.

“We just want accountability,” said Raghu. “My brother dedicated his life to this profession. He deserved better in life—and after death.”

As the family continues to wait for compensation and an official investigation, their painful journey serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by Indian seafarers abroad and the systemic lapses in maritime oversight.