State funeral for Sayeed today

The body of Union Power Minister P MSayeed, who died in Seoul last night, was brought here tonight enroute to his native Androth island in the Lakshadweep Archipelago. The body was brought in an Air India flight shortly after 10 P.M. At the IGI Airport here, where a large number of leaders including Union ministers Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Prithviraj Chavan, Kumari Selja and Panabaka Lakshmi were present.

Sayeed’s wife Rehmath, son Sayyed Mohammad Hamdullah and daughter Zubeida accompanied the body from Seoul. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan, AICC General Secretary Ahmed Patel, Congress Treasurer Motilal Vora and several MPS from Kerala were also present at the airport.

His body was taken to his official residence, where it would be kept for public viewing with full military honours tomorrow. Home Minister Shivraj Patil and K Rahman Khan will attend the funeral. Sixty-five-old Sayeed breathed last in Hyundai Hospital in Seoul, where he had been undergoing treatment for enlargement of liver.