Mumbai, April 16: Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and the Indian embassy in the US are unwilling to pick up the tab of $15,000 for transporting the body of Jiban Patra, Chopra's assistant, who died of suspected heart attack in a hotel room in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, nearly a week ago.
The 41-year-old man from Odisha used to work as Priyanka Chopra's assistant and was part of her entourage to Los Angeles. His body was discovered on April 7 inside a hotel room, and the LAPD (Los Angeles Police department) has filed a case of unnatural death. An initial inquest has said the immediate cause of death was heart attack.
Patra was to accompany Priyanka to Vancouver to attend the TOIFA award event, but he could not get a Canadian visa and stayed back at the Beverly Hills hotel.
Los Angeles police has allowed the body to be returned to India, but the cost of transporting the body comes to $15,000.
Odisha Society of the Americans has put this appeal on its website: "...We are requesting Priyanka Chopra's team to take the responsibility to send the body to Orissa. The family at India was helpless and no one speaks English/Hindi. We are in contact with PC's team and also the LA-Coroner police department and updating the family. After Jiban's death his family is devastated and will face an immediate financial disaster. There is no one there to help them..."
Patra has a wife and two kids staying in Mumbai.
The OSA is in talks with the Embassy and has instituted a fund in Patra's name to arrange for transportation of his body. Online community pages have also appealed for help.
While Priyanka was unavailable for comment, a source close to her said that her manager has been in touch with the Indian Embassy to try and work out a solution.
