Palakkad: Until 15 years ago, Kottopadam Akkaravettil Rasheed was the go-to-guy for his entire village. Rasheed, now in his mid-50s, was one of the first jeep taxi drivers in Kottopadam. He plied hundreds of passengers and patients to their destinations even past midnight. Rasheed was always on time to help those in need. However, on Wednesday when his three daughters drowned in the perumkulam (colloquial term for a large pond) situated just a 100 metres away from his home, none could rush to his rescue in time.
“Rasheed was a jeep driver 15 years ago. He tried his luck in the Gulf later. When his jobs there could not fetch him much, so he came back to Kottopadam and opened a small grocery shop near his home. I know him from my school days. He has always been kind-hearted,” said Asees Bheemanad, a retired headmaster and school senior of Rasheed.
Rasheed’s three daughters – two of them married- were on a visit to their ancestral home for Onam vacation when they drowned at the pond on Wednesday afternoon. They had gone to the pond spread across 1.5 acres for washing clothes and taking bath.
“The mood was joyous at home on the ill-fated day. Rasheed has five children and one among them – Shammas (20) is a kidney patient. Last year Shammas underwent a kidney transplant. His organ was replaced with his mother’s, Asma. Both, still under treatment, were really happy that all the family members came together to enjoy the Onam vacation. The kids have been visiting the pond since childhood. They know the depth and breadth of the water body quite well,” added Bheemanad, who is now the block president of the Congress party. It was Bheemanad who contacted Palakkad MP VK Sreekandan to speed up the formalities at the hospital and police station.
Local residents told the investigating team that the youngest among the three sisters – Rishana Althaj (18) was the first to drown in the pond, when she slipped and her legs were stuck in the mud. Her elder sisters Nisheedha Asna (26) and Rameesha Shahanas tried to rescue Rishana, but their efforts were in vain.
The siblings decided to visit the pond after Nisheeda’s children Muhammed Shamsad (7) and Fathima Asna (4) insisted for the same.
As soon as the trio drowned, the kids began screaming. Hearing their cries Rasheed who was at a rubber estate nearby, rushed to the pond, according to Nattukal police.
Akkara Jaseena, president of Kottopadam grama panchayat said that at first, Rasheed was startled to see his daughters drowning in the pond. He could not respond immediately. By that time, the trio's mother Asma had also reached the spot. In minutes, local residents and migrant labourers who were working nearby started the rescue operations. They were later joined by the fire and rescue team as well. However, their lives could not be saved.
The three siblings were first brought to the Mothercare Hospital in Mannarkkad where they were declared dead. IUML National General Secretary PK Kunhalikutty MLA, Mannarkad MLA M Shamsudheen, Attapadi Tahsildar Shanavas Khan and others visited the hospital. The bodies were later shifted to Palakkad district hospital mortuary for autopsy.
On Thursday, the bodies will be laid at their ancestral home for public homage. Nisheeda’s body will be taken to her husband’s home at Nattukal and laid to rest at Paramel Juma Masjid. The bodies of Rameesha and Rishana will be laid to rest at Kottopodam Juma Masjid in the afternoon.
