UDUPI : A nurse hailing from Udupi district, who was working at the Al Miqua General Hospital, run by the health ministry of Saudi Arabia, for the last six years, died under suspicious circumstances in that country. The deceased Hazel Jyotsna Mathias (28) was the wife of Ashwin Mathias, resident of Kuthyaru in Udupi and daughter of Robert Quadros and Helen Quadros from Agar Dande near Shirva. A close relative of Hazel Jyotsna, a lecturer, who did not want to be named, told TNIE on Friday that the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia has not responded to their queries so far.
“As Friday is a holiday in Saudi, government offices there could not be contacted by the Indian embassy. We know as she died under mysterious circumstances, the investigating team there will not release the body until their probe is over and that may take even 20 days,” she said.
Hazel had last spoken to her husband over phone on July 19. Two days later, a co-worker informed Hazel’s family about her death. But Ashwin doesn’t know even know where and how she died. The cause of her death seems to have been kept under wraps, and the family has not been told about it so far.
Hazel’s marriage took place four years back and her husband was working in Dubai in the past.
SRI Vishwavallabha Theertha of Sri Sode Mutt, Udupi has said that he is ready to go ahead and perform ‘Araadhane’, a ritual to be performed on the 13th day of death of Sri Lakshmivara Theertha of Sri Shiroor Mutt, Udupi who died in Udupi last week under suspicious circumstances. Sode seer said that the Shiroor Moola Mutt is under surveillance by the police team. “As per customs, the Aradhane has to be performed on the 13th day of death of a seer. Shiroor seer’s Aradhane has to be performed on July 31. But police have restricted the entry of public to Shiroor Moola Mutt for conducting their investigation. I have spoken to the Superintendent of Police of Udupi district on this regard,” he said.
After he returned to their village, the family had built a new house at Kuthyaru. Hazel had come home during the house-warming ceremony and again during the Ramzan holidays recently.The family has now contacted MLC Ivan D’Souza and Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat seeking their help in getting details of this case. Both of them have contacted Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, who has, in turn, promised to get in touch with the government in Saudi Arabia and convey the information.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis told TNIE that members of the Udupi district NRI forum tried to gather information from the family of Hazel, but they could not provide full details. Dr RavindranathShanbhag, member of Udupi district NRI Forum, told Express that he is prepared to help the family if they can give him the authorisation letter to talk to the hospital management in Saudi Arabia where Hazel worked.
‘’We have a team of volunteers in Saudi Arabia and once we get the family’s authorisation letter, we can contact the hospital authority’’he said. ‘’Unless we email them the family’s authorisation letter, the hospital authorities where Hazel worked will not respond to us on Hazel’s matter,’’ he said.