Patna: The mortal remains of Captain Rakesh Ranjan Singh (47), who had died after suffering a heart attack onboard the stranded vessel, ‘ASP Avana’, off the Strait of Hormuz, arrived in Patna Friday morning before being taken to his ancestral home for the last rites.The crude oil vessel had been stranded in the Persian Gulf since Feb 28 after Iran shut down the strait following the conflict with the USA and Israel.The body was taken from Patna to his ancestral home at Gowa Chak in Biharsharif, Nalanda, where locals, relatives, friends and colleagues gathered to pay their respects, many struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss.The funeral procession moved from the village to Umanath Ghat in Barh, where the last rites were performed according to traditional rituals. His elder son Pravar Singh lit the funeral pyre amid an atmosphere of grief.Elder brother Umesh Kumar Munna thanked Fleet Management Limited for its support and Sanjay Seth, minister of state for defence, for his assistance in bringing the body home.Captain Singh had sailed on Avana carrying crude oil from Feb 28. The ship halted due to rising tensions in West Asia. He died of a heart attack on March 24.Recalling the tragic turn of events, Umesh said the conflict began a day later. “He was due to return with oil to India, but fate intervened,” he said.Captain Singh, known as Devanand in the family, served in the merchant navy for 24 years. He is survived by his wife Ranju Kumari, elder son Pravar Singh (20), a first-year engineering student in Bengaluru, and younger son Aadhish (14).The family lives in the Argora area of Ranchi, while their ancestral home is in Professor Colony in Biharsharif in Nalanda district.Born to late Ramcharitra Singh, he was the youngest of three brothers. His elder brothers, Umesh Kumar Munna and Shridhar Anand, live in Nalanda.
