NYC Community Seeks Funds for Funeral After Nepali Man’s Body Remains Unclaimed for 8 Months

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by the Nepali community to facilitate the final rites for a Nepali man’s body that has remained unclaimed in New York for approximately eight months. The deceased, identified as 41-year-old Dhan Bahadur Thakuri, moved to NYC from Damak Municipality, Ward 8, Jhapa District, Nepal, and had been living in the United States for the past 11 years.

The campaign was jointly initiated by the NRNA New York Chapter, the Darshan Thakuri Society of America, and the Jhapali Society of America. The joint effort comes after an appeal for financial assistance from his immediate family—his wife, Kabita Rai Thakuri, and his brothers, Nirmal Thakuri and Man Bahadur Thakuri, who are in Nepal—citing their fragile financial condition. The GoFundMe has set a goal of $20,000 and is urging the community for maximum support.

Details received by the Consulate General of Nepal in New York from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) indicate that Mr. Thakuri was found unconscious at a New York train station by a passenger who called 911. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His body was then sent to the OCME on February 8th, where his identity remained unknown for some time.

As no immediate identification was found, the OCME informed the Consulate that they had coordinated with federal and other relevant offices. The Consulate was only notified last Monday via an email from the OCME after the Social Security Office confirmed the deceased was a Nepali citizen. The email requested assistance in locating and notifying the next of kin, as attempts by the OCME to contact them had failed.

The initial email only provided the deceased’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Due to the difficulty in confirming his full details, Nepali address, and next of kin from this limited information, the Consulate requested further documentation. On Tuesday, they received a copy of his Green Card. This document, combined with records from the Department of Passport, allowed the Consulate to verify his full details and address.

Mr. Thakuri’s body is currently being held at the OCME office in Queens, New York. The Consulate General has stated that they have received a request for necessary facilitation for the disposal of the remains to be completed by November 17th. The Consulate informed the OCME that the process for the final rites will only proceed after receiving an official request from the family, which has been informed of the death through the Department of Consular Services.

Earlier this week, NepYork reported that Dhan Bahadur Thakuri’s body was listed as unclaimed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a US government database. It was also noted that Dhan Bahadur was known as ‘Prashant Thakuri’ in New York.

Mr. Thakuri reportedly came to the US in 2014 through the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery. Family sources say he had a disability due to polio and was dealing with additional illnesses more recently, though his official cause of death remains unconfirmed.

When contacted about the lengthy delay in identifying the family and contacting the Consulate, the OCME declined to comment. Furthermore, the OCME informed that the cause of death is still under investigation.

The family in Nepal, who recently learned of his death, stated that they have not been provided with detailed information regarding the cause. His brother, Raju Thakuri, mentioned that Dhan Bahadur had been suffering from tuberculosis for some time. Family sources also confirmed that he had recently traveled to Nepal to formally marry a woman he had been in a relationship with for 18 years.