KOCHI: Accustomed to long hours of cooling their heels at the international arrival terminal of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, Santon Lama and his mother found themselves waiting once again. But this time, they were on the High Court verandah, anxiously awaiting clarity on a far heavier question: whether the DNA sample taken from a decomposed body recovered in Kalamassery matched that of Santon’s father, Suraj Lama.
Though their journey had begun in Bengaluru, Santon and his mother stood there in silent prayer, hoping the results would not confirm a match and that Suraj would remain missing — leaving room for hope.
But, as the HC reached the conclusion that the mortal remains match those of Suraj, based on DNA analysis, hopes were shattered, giving way to tears and overwhelming emotion.
“More than coming to terms with the fact that he [Suraj] is no more, I am one of the few who could neither identify nor perform the final rites of my own father, even though he was within reach. My only prayer is no one else should ever have to go through a situation like this,” Santon told TNIE.
“There is nothing left for us to take back home. What remains is to bid him a final farewell through last rites. That is my basic duty, as a son. We had planned to perform the final rites here in Kerala, where he (Suraj) spent his last days,” he said. All this while, Santon’s mother sat next to him, holding his hands — visibly shattered by grief.
Breaking down under the weight of grief, Santon said his family had never imagined enduring such an ordeal in a state like Kerala, known for its high literacy and vigilant policing.
“Even now, we do not know what exactly happened or why there were such serious lapses on the part of government institutions like the police, the medical college, and other authorities — sectors regarded as among the best,” he said.
Santon added that the family would always remember in their prayers those who stood by them during this difficult time, including lawyers and media friends
“According to our belief, the body should be carried on the shoulders of four blood relatives. But here we don’t even have that many relatives. Santon’s uncle, cousin and sister had to come from Bengaluru,” Suraj Lama’s wife Reena said in a choked voice.