March 3, 2025: A 47-year-old man from Kerala, Thomas Gabriel Periera, was shot dead by Jordanian security forces while attempting to illegally cross the border into Israel. His family was informed of his death through an email from the Indian Embassy in Amman.

Periera, a resident of Thumba, Jordan, was reportedly trying to enter Israel from Jordan’s Karak district along with an acquaintance named Edison. While Periera succumbed to gunfire, Edison sustained injuries and was later deported to India. He arrived in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week.

Recalling their last conversation, Periera's wife revealed that he had called her on February 9 but spoke only briefly. “He just asked me to pray for him and then cut the call,” she said.

The news of his death reached the family through a relative's son living in London, who called them after learning about the incident. His wife's sister stated, “We don’t know what exactly happened. He had left on February 5 without informing anyone. He only disclosed his location after reaching there.”

Periera had previously worked in Kuwait for five years, but his recent movements remain unclear to his family. The family is now seeking assistance from the Indian government to bring his remains home for the final rites.

In response, the Indian Embassy in Jordan issued a statement on X, saying, “The Embassy has learnt of the sad demise of an Indian national in unfortunate circumstances. The Embassy is in touch with the family of the deceased and is working closely with Jordanian authorities for transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased.”

The tragic incident has left the family devastated as they await further updates from the authorities regarding the repatriation of Periera's body.