Nawalparasi, March 17: The body of Tilmaya Sarkhi, a resident of Kawasoti Municipality-4 in Nawalparasi, who was murdered in Malaysia 11 months ago, will arrive in Nepal today. Her family had tried to bring her body home after her murder on May 11, 2024 in Malaysia, but delays occurred.
Authorities expedited the repatriation process of the corpse after a news story titled "70-year-old mother struggling to bring her daughter's body" was published in Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) on February 13.
Tilmaya’s family had neither received her body nor completed the necessary paperwork for relief funds. After divorcing her husband and leaving her 6-year-old daughter in her mother’s care, she had gone to Malaysia for work. Tilmaya, 25, was murdered by a Pakistani national.
Since learning of her daughter's death, Tilmaya's 70-year-old mother, Dhanmaya Sarkhi, has approached various authorities to bring her daughter's body to Nepal. However, Malaysia delayed sending the body due to the ongoing murder investigation. After media coverage shed light on the family's distress, Ranjana Lamsal, consultant for the Safe Migration Center (SAMI Project), confirmed that the matter was now receiving priority.
"After extensive efforts, we can finally bring Tilmaya's body to Nepal. The plane carrying the body will land at Tribhuvan International Airport at 12:30 pm on Monday," Lamsal said. "Tilmaya's sister, Neelmaya Sarkhi, will travel to Kathmandu on Sunday to receive the body."
The Malaysian company will cover the costs of transporting the body from Malaysia to Kathmandu. Lamsal also confirmed that by Monday evening, the body would reach Tilmaya's hometown in Hasaura, Kawasoti-4, Nawalparasi. "The Foreign Employment Board will facilitate the free corpse transportation service to bring the body home," she added. "All necessary procedures are complete, so the body will reach the family on Monday."
Tilmaya's elderly mother and young daughter had suffered during the long delay in bringing her body back to Nepal. Despite facing numerous challenges, Dhanmaya had visited the ward office and municipality for 11 months, trying to bring her daughter's body home. After the murder was reported, she urged the Migration Center to expedite the process, but delays continued, prompting media coverage.
The Malaysian embassy explained that it delayed sending the body because the investigation had not concluded. Safe Migration Center consultant Lamsal stated that the embassy had informed them that sending the body before completing the investigation could complicate legal matters.
According to Foreign Employment Board regulations, applications for financial assistance must be submitted within one year of death.
"Tilmaya's family has already submitted the application for financial assistance to the Foreign Employment Board, and the remaining paperwork will be processed along with the body's arrival," Lamsal said.