Mangalore: Jacintha's Mortal Remains Reach City, Taken to Manipal
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Brijesh Garodi
With Inputs from Inchara Udupi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)
Mangalore, Dec 16: The mortal remains of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse from Mangalore who allegedly committed suicide in London on December 7, were brought to the city on Sunday December 16.
The body reached Mangalore International Airport from Mumbai by Jet Airways flight at around 2.30 pm.
At Mangalore
At Shirva
The body was released to the family after post mortem and flown to India on Friday December 14. It reached Mumbai on Saturday December 15 and from there to Mangalore on Sunday.
Jacintha's husband Benedict Barboza, chidlren Junal and Lisha along with Benedict's sister accompanied the body.
Though both local and national media were present in considerable numbers, the family did not speak to mediapersons.
The body was taken to Manipal KMC from where it is expected to be taken to her husband's house in Shirva at 11 am on Monday December 17. At 2.30 pm, a prayer service will be held by the relatives at the house.
The funeral cortege will leave the residence at 3 pm and the last rites will be performed by Udupi bishop Dr Gerald Issac Lobo at 4 pm.
Sources have confirmed that all the arrangements for the funeral are almost over.
Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes told reporters at the airport, "We have been waiting for a long time for the body to come so that we can share the sorrow. I have been to their house. They were touched. It is very sentimental for them. They don't want to talk to media and we should respect that."
He said the Indian government has been very proactive in the case and they needed to know what caused Jacintha to take the extreme step.
"Even the media in Shirva cooperated with the family and they have been very helpful. We will express our disappointment with Australia. Impersonation is a serious thing. We will take it up with the foreign affairs ministry," he said.
Former chief minister Sadananda Gowda visited the family at Shirva earlier in the day, accompanied by MLA Lalaji R Mendon, ZP former president Katpady Shanker Poojary, party leaders like Kurthyar Naveen Shetty, Yashpal Suvarna, Geethanjali Suvarna, Nayana Ganesh, Ravindra Shetty Kollabettu and others.
"Jacintha's untimely death is very unfortunate. Injustice has been meted out to Indians abroad. The Centre and state should take action," he said.
Jacintha Saldanha, who worked as nurse at King Edward VII hospital in London, was found dead two days after she fell prey to a prank call from Australian radio presenters who pretended to be royalty and elicitated information about princess Kate Middleton who was admitted in the hospital. She left behind three suicide notes in which she criticized her hospital colleagues and expressed pain over the prank call, and in a third note elaborated on her funeral arrangements.