What was meant to be a final journey home turned into a painful wait in the courtyard for Thrissur native Plakkan Thomas. The body of the 79-year-old lay outside his house for six hours as his son Jaison and daughter-in-law were nowhere to be found. According to relatives, the son locked the house, left the premises, and switched off his phone when the body was brought home.

The District Collector of Thrissur, Arjun Pandian, has sought a detailed report regarding the incident. The  Collector directed the District Social Justice Officer to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.

Plakkan Thomas, a native of Kaippilly in Arimpur, was a former employee at a local matchbox factory. Thomas and his wife, Rosily, had been living separately in two orphanages for several months after they lodged a police complaint in December last year, alleging physical abuse by their son and daughter-in-law. Following the complaint, officials from the Social Justice Department relocated them to orphanages in Manalur and Karamukku. The issues cropped up after Thomas transferred the property to the daughter-in-law's name. 

Thomas passed away early on Wednesday at the Manalur orphanage. When his relatives brought the body to his home in Kaippilly, they found the house locked. Locals said the son and daughter-in-law had vacated the premises in advance.

With no access to the house, Thomas’s wife, daughter, and other relatives were forced to sit outside with the body. Repeated attempts to reach the son failed, as his phone remained switched off.

Finally, with the help of family members and local residents, the body was taken to the cemetery of Erav St Theresa’s Church, where Thomas was laid to rest with proper rites. Jaison and his family have not yet returned home.