Kozhikode plane crash: In the end, Sudheer rests in his hometown

KOZHIKODE: Sudheer Variath, 45, who succumbed to the injuries suffered in the Karipur plane crash, had made Valanchery in Malappuram his home a year ago. A Gulf expat for the past 15 years, he had moved to his wife’s place and built a house there. But as fate would have it, he will finally rest in his native place after he was tested positive for coronavirus. As per Covid guidelines, the mortal remains could not be transported or handed over the relatives. It would be cremated in the public crematorium in Kozhikode.

“He had tested negative for Covid six months ago. As per the passengers’ list put out by the AI Express on Friday, he is shown Covid negative,” said Sudheer’s relative. He was employed in Dubai in the finance section of DNO International Company. “He was scheduled to come in March. But it got extended due to the pandemic,” the relative said. Sudheer was brought to a private hospital here around 10pm on Friday, but succumbed to his injuries around 2am on Saturday. The only son of Kozhikode Mankavu native Padmanabha Menon and Vimala, Sudheer studied at the Ganapath Boys High School and Zamorin’s Guruvayoorappan College in the city.

Abdunasar C, Valancheri Municipality health standing committee chairman, said Kozhikode Corporation authorities handed over Sudheer’s mortal remains to the municipality’s health wing as per the Covid protocol after postmortem. “As per his official address, he is from Valanchery. Hence, we received the body at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and it was cremated at the Corporation crematorium at 7.30pm abiding Covid protocol,” he said. Sudheer is survived by wife Sunitha, daughter Shreya and son Adinath.