Washington DC, Nov. 1 -- The bodies of four Indian citizens remain stranded in foreign countries, unable to return home for final rites, as airlines refuse to transport them without original passports--even though Indian diplomatic missions have cleared their repatriation.

The cases, brought to light by Team Aid, a non-governmental organisation specialising in repatriation assistance, have sparked calls for urgent government intervention to resolve what campaigners describe as a "humanitarian crisis".

The four individuals whose remains await repatriation include Abhi Salaria, who died by suicide; Pradeep Kumar, who was shot; Sachin Kumar, who suffered a brain stroke; and Hardeep Singh, who died from dehydration while crossing the Texas ...