It was at 2:15 am that Sujith Wilson, the two-year-old who fell into a 600-feet borewell on October 25, was declared dead. His father, Britto Arogiyaraj, was given an indication in advance that the chances of rescuing his son might be bleak. Upon receiving the tragic news of Sujith's death, he remained stoic, while his wife broke down.
Sujith's inconsolable mother, Kalamary, who had not been eating well throughout the 80-hour-ordeal was reportedly given a sleeping pill on Monday night to ensure that she got some rest.
While tragic news awaited thousands of people who woke up on Tuesday morning to check on Sujith's status, it also meant Kalamary's worst fears were tragically playing out with officials confirming that she had no opportunity to see her son even for one last time.
As soon as she woke up, she ran towards the borewell crying loudly.
"Though we had given her updates about the rescue operation, she didn't realise that her biggest fear was waiting on the other side when she woke up. The medicine was given to make sure she got enough rest," said a senior official.
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With her health condition already severe, Karur MP Jothimani made sure she held back Kalamary and provided her with moral support.
While the mother was shocked, officials confirmed that Britto Arogiyaraj was properly updated.
"He has been helping with the rescue operation and he also suggested ideas. All the updates have been provided to him without any delay. There is no communication lapse." added the officer.
The father also accompanied officials who took Sujith's body to the Manapparai government hospital.
Explaining why such a decision was taken, J Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Revenue, said, "Sujith's body became highly decomposed and dismembered. So, we ordered to recover the body and submit the report."
The mother had reportedly almost fainted when she arrived at the nearby Fatima Puthur village to watch her son's burial. She is currently being provided medical assistance to ensure her well being.
Hundreds of people from surrounding villages swamped the Fathima Puthur village burial ground on Tuesday morning to pay their final respects to Sujith.
The toddler had fallen into a 600-feet borewell in front of his house on Friday night while playing with his cousins. While Sujith was initially spotted at a depth of five feet, he later sank as low as 100 feet.
On Monday, a heavy German-made drilling machine was deployed to dig a parallel shaft to reach the boy stuck at a depth of 88 feet, but rescue efforts were hampered by the combination of rocky soil and rain.
(With inputs from online desk)