KOCHI: Nithin Chandran, the 28-year-old mechanical engineer who died in Dubai on Monday had been running around to help Keralites who had lost their job and those suffering from ailments to return home.
A philanthropist, Nithin had approached the Supreme Court with the help of INCAS, a social organisation, seeking a directive to the Centre to evacuate Indians stranded abroad.
The Perambra native was under treatment for high blood pressure. He died of a heart attack. Employed in Dubai, Nithin decided to stay back after sending his wife Athira home on the first day of repatriation.
On May 7, Nithin had talked to TNIE over the phone from Dubai after seeing off his pregnant wife.
“We have only a limited number of flights and should facilitate the people who are in dire straits to reach home. I wanted to accompany my wife but decided to stay back seeing the plight of the people who lost jobs,” he told TNIE.
Shafi Parambil, MLA, who had offered a free ticket to Athira as a token of appreciation to the couple who fought for NRIs, said Nithin was a selfless social worker.
“He was a volunteer of Blood Donors Kerala, UAE and was actively involved in the activities of Youth Care, the social service wing of Youth Congress in Dubai. He helped us identify people who are struggling in the UAE due to loss of job and ensure their return to Kerala. When we offered to bear the travel expenses of Athira, he sponsored the return journey of two others. His death came as a shock for me,” Shafi told TNIE.
Athira was seven months and two weeks pregnant when she boarded the flight to Kerala and Nithin was hoping to be at home by the time of delivery in July.
Attempts are being made to repatriate his body. Nithin is survived by father Kunizhil Ramachandran (Health Inspector-retd), mother Latha, sister Aarti and wife Athira.