India’s representative to Palestine, Mukul Arya, was found dead on Sunday, inside the Indian Mission in Ramallah. The cause of his death has not yet been ascertained. Mukul Arya was a 2008 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, in a tweet expressed his shock over the death of the diplomat and said, “Deeply shocked to learn about the passing away of India’s Representative at Ramallah, Shri Mukul Arya. He was a bright and talented officer with so much before him. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Om Shanti.”
The Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement that it received with “great astonishment and shock” the news of the death of Ambassador Arya.
“As soon as this painful news arrived, immediate instructions were issued from President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh to all the security, police and public authorities, in addition to the Ministry of Health and Forensic Medicine, to immediately move to the place of residence of the Indian ambassador to closely monitor the case of death,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement further added that in such difficult and emergency circumstances all parties are fully prepared to do what is required of them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants expressed its deep sadness, loss and pain at the death of Ambassador Arya.
The ministry said it is in touch with India’s external affairs ministry to complete the arrangements for transporting the body of Arya. Arya had served in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi, as well as at Indian embassies in Kabul and Moscow.
Indian Foreign Service officer Mukul Arya had also served as the Permanent Delegation of India to the UNESCO in Paris. Arya had studied economics at the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University before he joined the Indian Foreign Service.
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