Kumily: After days of anxious waiting and tearful prayers, Jinu Louis --a mother recently trapped in legal turmoil in Kuwait-- returned home to bid a final farewell to her son, Shanet Shyju. The heart-rending moment unfolded at the hospital mortuary in Kattappana, where Jinu saw her son's body for the first time, moving onlookers to tears.

Shanet, a native of Vellara in Anakkara, lost his life in a tragic bike accident near Chellarkovil last Tuesday. His body was kept in the mortuary of a private hospital, awaiting the arrival of his mother. Jinu, who had been detained in Kuwait following a job scam, managed to return only on Sunday evening.

His funeral took place at St John's Jacobite Church Cemetery, Olivevale, Anakkara on Tuesday. When the body was brought home around 10 am, a large grieving crowd gathered to pay their last respects.

Detained in Kuwait after job scam
Jinu had travelled to Kuwait about two and a half months ago for domestic work. However, she was subjected to harsh working conditions and denied the promised pay. Her health deteriorated rapidly. When she raised complaints with the agency, she was unlawfully detained at another location.

Just as she was completing legal formalities to return last Monday, her travel was delayed by sudden COVID-19 restrictions and the tense wartime situation in the region. It was only through coordinated efforts by the Kerala government, local MPs, the Kuwait Malayali Association, and expatriates from Anakkara that her return was made possible.

She landed at Nedumbassery Airport on Sunday at 11 am and reached Anakkara by 4 pm. At home, the atmosphere was heavy with grief. Shyju, Shanet's father, and Shibu, the father of Shanet’s friend Alan (who also died in the accident), sat devastated in the courtyard -- struggling to come to terms with the unbearable loss.