Kallakurichi death case: Body collected by parents, last rites conducted amid tight security

News agency ANI tweeted a video of the girl’s body reaching her native village.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Family of class XII, Kallakurichi girl and locals bereave her loss as her body reaches her native village in Cuddalore district for last rites days after she passed away pic.twitter.com/5yNb2LuIVw

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2022

This morning, the ambulance carrying the body to the village met with an accident some 10 km from Veppur on the Trichy Bypass road. Both the ambulance and its escort vehicle collided with a container lorry, reported ANI. No major injuries were reported.

Kallakurichi, TN | The ambulance carrying body of the deceased class XII girl, met with a small accident almost 10 km away from Veppur on the Trichy Bypass road. Both the ambulance & its escort vehicle collided with a container lorry but are on their way again now pic.twitter.com/7kkdC6k8KY

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2022

State Labour Minister C V Ganesan, who represented the State government and the district Collector were also among those who paid homage to the girl’s body kept in the village before it was taken in a procession for the last rites.

The body of the girl was draped in new clothes and a biology book was placed by her side before she was laid to rest.

The girl’s death had sparked violent protests in Kallakurichi on July 17. Alleging foul play, the family had moved the Madras High Court and Supreme Court, seeking to have the body examined by a doctor of their choice. The HC had ordered a second post-mortem by an independent panel, but quashed their plea. The Supreme Court, too, had refused to entertain their petition.

On Friday, Madras High Court had directed a team of doctors of Puducherry-based Jipmer to analyse the autopsy reports and submit its report within a month. It also ordered the family to collect the body, which was lying in a mortuary for about 10 days.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)