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Case of missing Bengaluru man, who had memory loss and was deported from Kuwait, prompts High Court to ask some tough questions

Kerala High Court probe, Kuwait deportation case: The court sought a comprehensive answer from the Centre and the state in this regard by December 10.

2 min readThiruvananthapuramUpdated: Dec 5, 2025 01:14 PM IST

After Bengaluru man deported from Kuwait goes missing in Kochi, HC asks Centre, state about deportation protocol

Kerala High Court probe: The court sought a comprehensive answer from the Centre and the state in this regard by December 10.

Kerala High Court probe: The Kerala High Court on Thursday sought a detailed response from the Centre and the state government on the protocols followed in the matter of an Indian citizen being deported.

Considering a habeas corpus petition filed by the son of a Bengaluru man, who was deported from Kuwait two months ago and went missing in Kochi, Justice Devan Ramachandran said, “This case certainly throws up very difficult questions for all the authorities. When a citizen is deported, whatever be the reason, it is surely for a cause found by the deporting country. This could vary from, perhaps, illness to even terrorism; and between the spectrum are various possibilities. It is shocking that a person who is so deported is then left free through emigration, without any evaluation or surveillance,” the judge observed.

The court sought a comprehensive answer from the Centre and the state in this regard by December 10.

The man who was deported from Kuwait, Suraj Lama, landed at Kochi International Airport on October 5 and allegedly walked out without any emigration clearance. A businessman in Kuwait for decades, Suraj had suffered memory loss purportedly due to alcohol poisoning in August this year. He was found wandering in various places in Kochi before local police admitted him to the government medical college. CCTV visuals showed him later walking out of the hospital on October 10. Suraj’s son, Santon Lama, filed the habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court the same month.

Although a special police team, formed at the behest of the High Court, conducted searches, Suraj remained untraced.

On November 30, a body prima facie identified as that of Suraj was found in a decomposed condition around 2 km away from the government medical college in Kalamassery, where he had been admitted. Police are awaiting the result of a DNA test to confirm the identity.

On Thursday, the court said, “We still are in the hortative hope that the body found is not that of the alleged detenue.”

Shaju Philip

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More

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