Nepali Man’s Body, Unclaimed for 8 Months, to be Cremated in New Jersey Nine Months After Death

The body of a Nepali man, previously listed as “unclaimed” in New York, will finally be cremated in the United States this month. Dhan Bahadur Thakuri, 41, originally from Damak Municipality Ward 8 in Jhapa District, Nepal, had been living in the U.S. for the past 11 years. His body remained unclaimed in New York for eight months following his death in February.

NepYork reported that Dhan Bahadur Thakuri’s body was initially listed as unclaimed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), operated by the U.S. government. However, his details have since been removed from the system after his family in Nepal claimed his remains. Dhan Bahadur was also known as “Prashant Thakuri” in New York.

The cremation is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, in New Jersey, marking approximately nine months since his passing in February. The final farewell ceremony will be held at Ruby Memorial Funeral Home in New Jersey at 10:30 AM, followed by cremation at Franklin Memorial Crematorium at 11:45 AM, according to the NRNA NCC New York Chapter, Darshan Thakuri Society, and Jhapali Samaj America.

The NRNA New York Chapter, Darshan Thakuri Society, and Jhapali Samaj America jointly organized a GoFundMe campaign for the final rites, successfully raising $9,820. The organizations expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to this humanitarian effort and urged all to attend the final farewell.

The timeline of Dhan Bahadur Thakuri’s body being found was detailed in information provided to the Consulate General of Nepal in New York by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). The incident began when a passenger found Thakuri unconscious at a New York train station and immediately called 911. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead. His body was officially transferred to the New York Chief Medical Examiner’s Office on February 8, but at that time, his identity remained completely unknown.

Since no identification documents were found, the OCME informed the Consulate General that they had coordinated with federal agencies and other stakeholders. The OCME later emailed the Nepali Consulate General, stating that they had received information from the Social Security Administration confirming the deceased was a Nepali citizen. The email requested assistance in locating and notifying the next of kin, noting that previous attempts to contact close relatives had been unsuccessful.

The initial email contained only 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 based on this limited information, the Consulate General requested further documentation from the OCME. They later received a copy of the deceased’s Green Card. Using this document, the information was cross-referenced with records from Nepal’s Department of Passports, verifying his address and other details.

The OCME office in Queens, New York, had requested that funeral arrangements be facilitated by November 17. The family was notified about the death through the Department of Consular Services, which led to the body finally being claimed.

Thakuri arrived in the U.S. in 2014 via the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. Those who knew him reported that he had a disability due to polio and had been suffering from additional health issues recently. However, the exact cause of his death remains unconfirmed.

When NepYork contacted the OCME for details about the long delay in identifying and notifying the Consulate, they declined to comment. The OCME further stated that the cause of death has not yet been confirmed and is currently under investigation, adding that no further information is available at this time.

Thakuri’s family in Nepal, now informed of his death, reported that they have not received detailed information regarding the cause. According to the deceased’s elder brother, Raju Thakuri, Dhan Bahadur had also been suffering from tuberculosis for some time. Family sources stated that he had recently traveled to Nepal to formally marry the woman he had been in a relationship with for 18 years.