Upon discovering Lama’s deportation to Kochi, his family lodged a missing person report at Kochi Airport Police Station

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23: A routine deportation flight from Kuwait to India has spiraled into a troubling mystery. Suraj Lama, a 59-year-old Bengaluru resident who had spent decades working in Kuwait’s hospitality sector, vanished shortly after he arrived at Kochi International Airport earlier this month — leaving his family desperate for answers and authorities scrambling for clues.

Lama, who reportedly suffered partial memory loss and speech impairment following an alleged case of alcohol poisoning in Kuwait, was deported on October 4 via Jazeera Airways. His family, however, was neither informed of his medical condition nor of his deportation. Even more distressing, he was flown to Kochi instead of Bengaluru, his hometown.

According to his son, Santon Lama, the family learned of the deportation only after a friend in Kuwait sent them a photo of Lama’s air ticket. “We were shocked to know he was sent to Kochi alone, in a disoriented state,” Santon said.

After arriving in Kochi on October 5, Suraj reportedly walked out of the airport and boarded a bus. He was later spotted by a Metro feeder bus driver, appearing confused and unable to communicate. Police later located him near Thrikkakara, 12 kilometers from Aluva, and took him to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kalamassery, on October 10.

What happened next deepens the mystery. CCTV footage shows Lama leaving the hospital barely 20 minutes after being admitted — and disappearing into the city. Since that moment, no confirmed sighting has been reported.

In a desperate attempt to find him, Santon filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court, which on Tuesday directed the Kerala Police to submit a response. The family has also reached out to the Pravasi Legal Cell (PLC) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for intervention.

PLC spokesperson Sudheer Thirunilath described the case as “deeply concerning,” questioning how a man in such a vulnerable state could have been allowed to travel unescorted, clear immigration, and exit the airport carrying only his passport. “It’s alarming that the family was not informed of his deportation, and he was sent to the wrong destination while clearly unfit to travel alone,” Thirunilath said.

Social media appeals and local searches have since followed, with one auto driver claiming to have seen Lama near Kalamassery on October 15 — but no official confirmation has surfaced.

For now, the trail has gone cold. A man who spent his best years building a life abroad is now missing in his homeland — a disappearance that raises serious questions about both Kuwait’s deportation process and India’s handling of vulnerable returnees.