Kozhikode: The mortal remains of Nithin Chandran, the 29-year-old Dubai-based engineer and social worker who, along with his wife, fought for the repatriation of pregnant Indian women from the Gulf in the time of COVID, were cremated on the premises of his home in Perambra in Kozhikode district on Wednesday.
Nithin was found dead at his apartment in in Dubai International City on Monday morning. He was suspected to have died of a heart attack in his sleep. He was under treatment for high blood pressure and had heart ailments too.
His body was brought to Kochi on Wednesday morning and was taken to his home by an ambulance.
Nithin and his wife Athira Geetha Sreedharan, an IT engineer, fought for the repatriation of pregnant Indian women stranded in the Gulf. Athira had even filed a petition in India's Supreme Court seeking help to return home for her delivery. She was seven months pregnant then.
When India started their Vande Bharat repatriation mission on May 7, both Athira and Nithin got a ticket on the first flight from Dubai to Kozhikode. However, Nithin decided to give up his ticket for another Keralite who had a more pressing need to return home. He had told Athira that he would join her during her delivery.
Athira delivered a baby girl on Tuesday, unaware of her husband’s death.
Although her due date was in the first week of July, relatives decided to get the delivery done through surgery before informing her about Nithin's death.
They took her to a private hospital in Kozhikode on Tuesday saying she had to undergo COVID tests. Athira delivered the baby girl about 11:40am.
Nithin's body was first taken to the private hospital for Athira to bid adieu to her husband.
Nithin's death had come as a big shock to the Keralite community in the UAE, which had rallied to help the young woman to return home.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to social media platform Facebook to condole his death. "A great loss," Vijayan said.
Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi condoled Nithin's death by way of a letter written to Athira.
"Nithin was an active member of the Malayalee community in Dubai. His sudden departure is a painful one," Minister TP Ramakrishnan said while offering his condolences to his family and wife, Athira.
Nithin was the coordinator of the Dubai chapter of the Kerala Blood Donors and an active member of the Indian Culture and Arts Society (INCAS). He is the son of retired health inspector Ramachandran.
