Indian-origin IIT Madras alumnus succumbs to heart attack in UAE hours after dropping off family at airport

In an unfortunate event, an Indian origin engineer in the United Arab Emirates passed away hours after seeing off his family, who visited him from Kerala.

On October 6, Hariraj Sudevan, 37, died of a heart attack after dropping his wife and son at Abu Dhabi International Airport for their return to their hometown in Kerala. 

Recalling the fateful night, Sudevan's friend in UAE, Digin, said that after dropping off his wife and son, he picked up his roommate Sujith, who returned from Kerala, from the same airport and visited Digin’s family.

Sudevan and Sujith were at Digin's for his daughter's birthday. However, after both went back home at 9 pm, around 11.40 pm, Sudevan felt uneasy.

The paramedics rushed and gave him first aid, CPR, and he was taken to the nearby hospital. Unfortunately, he couldn't be revived and was declared dead.

Missed signals

According to Digin, Sudevan mentioned that he was diabetic but that it was under control through diet and yoga. 

He added that Sudevan also used to play badminton. Digin recalled that Sudevan had recently mentioned some concerns about his ECG, which had been done as part of a routine offshore checkup.

He said that Sudevan had consulted a doctor, undergone some additional tests that turned out fine, and believed that his occasional heartburn after meals was likely due to gastric problems.

Last goodbye

As the family has UAE residence visas, Sudevan's wife Dr Anu Ashok, and son, Ishaan Dev Hari, used to stay in the country for a few days, as per Gulf News.

He had intended to return this month to celebrate Ishaan’s 10th birthday on October 27. His father-in-law, Ashokan KP, told Gulf News that he was eagerly anticipating being part of the occasion.

He told Gulf News, “We are all devastated and finding it difficult to accept the reality that he is no more.”

According to Sudevan’s LinkedIn profile, he went to the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, to pursue M-tech in Ocean Engineering between 2009 and 2011.

In the UAE, he had been working with McDermott International Ltd for 12 years.