Delhi HC stays immersion of Vijayan ashes

The Delhi HC has restrained writer and cartoonist O.V. Vijayan’s nephew, S.G. Ravishankar, from immersing his uncle’s ashes till f...

The Delhi HC has restrained writer and cartoonist O.V. Vijayan’s nephew, S.G. Ravishankar, from immersing his uncle’s ashes till further orders.

The order follows a petition by Vijayan’s wife Teresa and son Madhu, who accused Ravishankar of seizing his ashes and denying them the right to perform his last rites. The court has issued a notice to Ravishankar for April 14 to answer the charges against him.

Vijayan, the petitioners claimed, had wanted a private funeral as he and Teresa were ‘‘ideologically and spiritually’’ opposed to any form of public functions or public expression of emotions.

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Vijayan died in Hyderabad on March 30 after prolonged illness. Dignitaries, including Kerala CM Oommen Chandy had coaxed the family to agree to a state funeral as a mark of respect. Though there was some intitial resistance, they agreed.

Teresa accompanied the body for the funeral to Kerala. Madhu wanted the ashes to be brought to Hyderabad but the last rites were performed by Ravishankar. The controversy started thereafter.

Ravishankar seized the ashes and refused to hand them over to Teresa. He said as he had cremated Vijayan, he would retain his ashes. Ravishankar, they said, also issued a press statement saying they were free to accompany him whenever he goes to immerse the ashes. ‘‘He has also stated that only some of the ashes would be immersed and the rest would be placed in a memorial.’’

Ananthakrishnan G

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

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