KOCHI: After three days of uncertainty, the advisory committee set up by the Ernakulam Medical College Hospital (MCH) has recommended handing over the mortal remains of CPM leader M M Lawrence for medical research, even as his daughter Asha Lawrence, who wants to bury her father as per Christian rituals, has decided to move the High Court against the suggestion.
The committee constituted under MCH principal Dr Prathap Somnath made the recommendation after its hearing on Wednesday. Sources said it will take two to three days to complete the proceedings to hand over the body.
At the hearing, M L Sajeevan, Lawrence’s son, presented two witnesses -- Rajan Sunny Pollayil and Abi Lazar -- saying his father had expressed the desire to hand over his body for medical research in their presence. Rajan is the son of Lawrence’s brother-in-law Sunny, and Abi Lazar is the son of Lawrence’s elder brother M M Lazar and an employee of CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani.
The committee found the witnesses’ statements were reliable. Moreover, Sajeevan had lawful possession of his father after his death, a report of the committee said.
Asha accuses brother of presenting fake witnesses
The committee added that the witnesses’ statements also subscribed to the provisions under the Anatomy Act. The committee had summoned Sajeevan, Asha and Lawrence’s elder daughter Sujatha Boban for the hearing, during which Sujatha withdrew her consent to hand over his body to the MCH.
While Sujatha’s sudden U-turn remains unexplained, sources said Asha had threatened to lodge a complaint against Sujatha’s son too for attempted manhandling of Asha and her son, prompting her to take a neutral stand.
Meanwhile, Asha accused her brother Sajeevan of attempting to present fake witnesses and alleged that Dr Prathap insulted her at the hearing by demanding proof of her relationship with her father.
“I showed my Aadhaar card, but then he asked where my father was admitted to and at what time he passed away. How could they be unaware of these details after everything that has happened? I was called for this hearing based on a High Court order, yet they are trying to insult me,” she said.
Sources indicated that under Section 4A of the Kerala Anatomy Act, a deceased person’s consent for body donation does not need to be in writing and can be expressed orally in the presence of two or more witnesses. However, Asha dismissed the witnesses as fake, asserting, “These two individuals have no connection to our father.”
Lawrence, a senior communist leader and former CPM central committee member, passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on September 21.
ASHA LODGES COMPLAINT WITH COMMISSIONER
Asha Lawrence has lodged a complaint with the Kochi city police commissioner, alleging that she and her son were assaulted during the public homage to her father on Monday. The complaint names her brother M L Sajeevan, CPM district secretary C N Mohanan, and her brother-in-law Boban Varghese, among others.
