Two Malayali youngsters were found dead in Oman, shocking the Keralite community in Muscat. Muhammad Janeesh Babu, 28, a native of Chakkumkadavu in Kozhikode, was found dead in Hamriya on Thursday. On Saturday, 29-year-old Sarath, hailing from Kunnakavu in Malappuram, was found dead in Ruwi.

Janeesh Babu was the son of Muhammad Jafar and Fathimabi. He had previously worked at a chocolate company in Mabela but returned home to Kerala four months ago after leaving his job. He recently returned to Oman on a temporary visa to search for new employment opportunities and was residing in Wadi Kabir.

According to local sources, Janeesh vacated his room on August 31 with his bag. His body was later discovered in a building in Hamriya. Since his passport could not be recovered initially, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) had kept his body in the morgue as an unidentified body.

The discovery of his identity occurred almost by chance. Sarath, the son of Govindan and Padmini, had passed away in Ruwi, and social workers were coordinating with the police to complete his repatriation formalities. It was during these discussions that volunteers stumbled upon clues regarding an unidentified body matching Janeesh's description.

A community in grief
Following up on the lead, social workers contacted Janeesh's former employer to verify his identity. Once both individuals were identified, community volunteers expedited the administrative processes. After completing the necessary legal and official formalities in Oman, the bodies of both young men were repatriated to their hometowns in Kerala.

Both Janeesh and Sarath were well-known football players among the expatriate community and had a wide circle of friends in Oman, who have been left devastated by the twin tragedies.