Dheeraj Rajendran laid to rest, funeral procession from Idukki travelled 380 km

Dheeraj
The public pay homage to Dheeraj Rajendran as the vehicle carrying his body reached Kannur. Photo: Manorama

Kannur: Dheeraj Rajendran, 21, who was killed at his college campus in Idukki was laid to rest past Tuesday midnight.

Thousands thronged the paths leading to Taliparamba where a funeral pyre was prepared for the Students' Federation of India (SFI) activist. The youth's final resting place was prepared on an eight-cent land adjacent to his house at Trichambaram that was bought by the CPM.

Dheeraj
The public pay homage to Dheeraj Rajendran. Photo: Manorama

The funeral procession which left Idukki Tuesday afternoon entered Taliparamba only past midnight after travelling 380 km.

The mortal remains of the youth was handed over from the Idukki Medical College Hospital at 11.30 am on Tuesday. Minister Roshy Augustine and other CPM leaders received the body.

The cremation of SFI activist Dheeraj (left) will be done on an eight-cent plot adjacent to his house.

Hundreds of party workers and the general public paid homage to Dheeraj along the four districts of Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode before entering the Kannur district after 10.30 pm. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan paid respects to the youth along with other leaders ar Kozhikode's Malaparambu junction.

Ministers M V Govindan and P Rajeev, CPM District Secretary MV Jayarajan and EP Jayarajan also paid respects.

The mortal remains were accompanied by a bike rally from the Kannur district border. The police had tightened security throughout the route. The CPM had called for a hartal in Taliparamba.

Heart-rending scenes at Dheeraj's house

Dheeraj's house at Taliparamba has been witnessing heart-rending scenes since Monday evening. His mother was crying inconsolably.

People including relatives visiting the house also could not hold back their tears as they struggled to cope with the tragedy.

Dheeraj had returned to his college after spending the Christmas holidays at home.

Dheeraj's mother Kala (right) upon hearing the news of her son's passing.

Dheeraj's mother Kala had just one thing to say to the CPM leaders and the residents who came to console the family: "Tell the murderers of my son to kill me also."

Dheeraj's younger brother Adwaith was also unable to console his mother.

In the adjacent room, father Rajendran was lying completely exhausted.

"I don’t have classes but I need to return to college to finish the project work," Kala recollected what Dheeraj had said while going back from home.

“I told him to complete his projects sitting at home here. He never used to go for any confrontation or pick up quarrel with others. He never used to go for such political activities," she said.

Before Kala could return from the taluk Ayurveda Hospital in Thaliparamba on Monday where she works as a nurse, CPM leaders and locals had reached their house on hearing about the tragic incident. They informed his father Rajendran that Dheeraj had sustained injuries in the incident.

However, younger brother Adwaith was aware of the tragedy that had struck the family. He appealed to all people who had assembled in the house to move away when his mother Kala returned from the hospital. But after seeing the big crowd near the house, she suspected the worst.

CPM state committee member James Mathew, CPM district secretariat member N Sukanya, Mahila Association leaders M Sukanya, P K Shyamala and O Saubhagya struggled to console Dheeraj’s mother.

Dheeraj, Nikhil Paili

Dheeraj's murder politically motivated: FIR

Dheeraj's murder was politically motivated, the police have stated in the FIR.

The arrested accused in the case Vazhathoppu Youth Congress Mandalam President Nikhil Paili (29) and Idukki Mandalam Vice President Jerin Jojo (22) are being questioned.

Two others including Idukki Engineering College KSU Unit Secretary Alex Rafael (21) are in custody.

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