In a shocking piece of news, 38-year-old Mukul Arya, an Indian diplomat, has passed away on Sunday in Palestine. He was found dead in his office and the cause of death is yet to be known. Expressing distress, the Palestinian government has initiated a probe into the death. Arya had been serving as India's envoy to Palestine and his demise had shakened the foreign ministries of both countries.

Arya was a 2008-batch Indian Foreign Service Officer and he had served in the Indian embassies in Kabul and Moscow. In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Palestine said, "On this sad occasion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Dr Riyad Al-Maliki extends his heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and through him to the friendly Indian government, the family of Representative Arya and his relatives." 

The ministry has also expressed its deep sadness, loss, and pain at the death of Representative Arya at his workplace. The ministry said it is conducting its official contacts with the Ministry of External Affairs to complete the arrangements for transporting the body of the deceased to India for his burial. The statement further said that as soon as this painful news arrived, immediate instructions were issued from President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Dr Muhammad Shtayyeh to all security, police, and public authorities to closely monitor the case of death. 

It added that all parties are fully prepared to do what is required of them in such difficult and emergency circumstances. India's Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar wrote, "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."

38-year-old Arya was a career diplomat who had served at the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi. He also had served at the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO in Paris and at the Embassies of India in Kabul and Moscow. He was raised in Delhi and completed Economics at Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 2008.