Tension as relatives insist on taking body in procession

Tension prevailed in nearby Idinthakarai after relatives and anti-nuclear activists insisted on taking out the body of a man who died during the `Jal Satyagraha`.

Kudankulam (TN): Tension prevailed in nearby Idinthakarai after relatives and anti-nuclear activists Monday insisted on taking out the body of a man who died during the `Jal Satyagraha` on September 13 in a procession through coastal villages, despite regulatory orders in place.

Sahayam (42) was hospitalised that day after he fell down and got injured when a Coast Guard aircraft reportedly flew low over his head during a sortie to monitor villagers protesting at sea against loading of fuel at Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant. He died the next day.

Police said the post-mortem could be done only today as relatives refused to accept the body and insisted on the presence of neurosurgeons, maintaining he had died of shock after the CG aircraft flew very low.

The Coast Guard, however, said they had flown only at a safe height and that hundreds of people had participated in the `Jal Sathyagraha` that day.

Besides their objective was to monitor the people and give them protection, they said.

Police said they had told the protestors they could not take out a procession as the villages were already tense in the wake of the protests against the plant.

The post-mortem was videographed in the presence of neuro surgeons and physicians at Asari Pallam Government Hospital near Nagercoil.

Police said they would bring the body to the burial ground and relatives would be allowed to perform only last rites.

PTI

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