KANNUR: Revenue Minister A P Anilkumar has directed the land revenue commissioner to suspend Payyanur tahsildar Paul K P over the handling of the body of R Rajesh, 36, who died while participating in a rescue operation at Meenthulli in Cherupuzha, Kannur.
The action was based on an inquiry report submitted by Kannur ADM, who was tasked with investigating the matter by District Collector P Vishnuraj.
A controversy had erupted after Rajesh’s body, recovered four days after his death, was transported from Pariyaram Medical College, Kannur, in an ambulance without freezer facilities. The body was later transferred to a freezer-equipped ambulance at Chavakkad in Thrissur. The incident has drawn strong political criticism.
R Rajesh, a native of Kalliyoor in Thiruvananthapuram, died while participating in a rescue operation at Meenthulli Thuruthu in Cherupuzha. Rajesh was swept away by strong currents while attempting to rescue a person stranded on an island at Meenthulli.
The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, August 1. After a four-day search, Rajesh’s body was recovered on August 4. Meanwhile, CPM has launched a protest in Cherupuzha on Saturday following allegations that money was demanded to help transport the body of R Rajesh to his family. The protest was directed against Aneesh Antony Kalayil, a Cherupuzha panchayat member, who is also a load worker in Cherupuzha town.
Aneesh said the controversy arose over the transportation of Rajesh’s body after it was recovered and taken to Pariyaram Medical College.
“I went to Pariyaram along with the body as a panchayat representative and later travelled with it to Thiruvananthapuram. During this time, Anoob, a rafter from Cherupuzha, told me that Rs 25,000 had to be collected for transporting the body in an ambulance, as the tahsildar Paul K P had instructed him to do so.
When I enquired about the matter, the tahsildar said the ambulance was not ready. I also understood that money had to be arranged for the transportation,” he said. Aneesh then looked for an ambulance operated by a charitable trust, which required a lower amount. Anoob gave him `10,000, while the tahsildar said the expense would be around `13,000 for the petrol.
“Later, after we travelled with the body and it was shifted to another ambulance, someone paid the ambulance charge, which was around `23,000. Therefore, I did not have to spend the `10,000 I had received. When I returned from Thiruvananthapuram, I returned the entire amount. However, reports that I had collected money created the controversy. Anoob later told me that the tahsildar had asked him for the money,” Aneesh said.
