
KOCHI: Even under a scorching sun, Karimpadam, nearly two kilometres away from Chendamangalam, looks gloomy. And a reflection of the grief is etched on the faces of the local residents. The stillness was broken only by the wailing sirens of ambulances and the sound of the escorting vehicles.
This is where the bodies of three persons of a family, who were murdered by their neighbour on Thursday evening, were brought for the public to pay homage.
When three ambulances, carrying the bodies of the victims, reached Karimpadam in succession, the cousin-sister of Vinisha, one of the deceased, fainted and had to be rushed to a hospital.
A heart-wrenching cry of “ammaa” from the elder daughter of Vinisha brought tears to the eyes of a large number of people gathered to pay their final respects.
The ambulances - carrying the bodies of Venu, 65, his wife Usha, 62, and their daughter Vinisha, 32 - left the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital after the postmortem procedures at 3.10 pm on Friday. The bodies were taken to the house of Usha’s elder sister in Karimpadam, to allow the deceased a final farewell among their relatives and well-wishers.
The sound of the ambulance sirens brought anguished cries from those gathered there. While the three coffins were placed side by side on tables, a neighbour called out, “Ushey...”, hoping for a response.
Overwhelmed by grief, Usha’s younger daughter broke down, asking, “Why did mother call me yesterday if she didn’t want to talk again?” Her voice faltered, and she fainted, only to be carried inside by those around.
“We were like a single family, despite living separately,” said Sharada, a neighbour.
After the public homage, the bodies were taken to the Murikkumpadam public crematorium around 5.15 pm. Amid the heartbreak, all eyes turned to Vinisha’s children, who stood in silence, gazing at the coffins as if they had lost everything.