DUBAI: Dubai has handed over the body of legendary Indian actress Sridevi to Indian authorities for it to be returned home, an Indian embassy official said on Tuesday.

The official said the body had been "received, embalmed and taken on its way to India", the official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters.

Police said on Monday that a post mortem had shown that Sridevi, who died on Saturday, had drowned at her Dubai hotel room bathtub during a visit to the Gulf Arab emirate to attend a family wedding.

Media reports had earlier said the 54-year-old had died of cardiac arrest.