Kochi: Even as the decision to cremate the body of Jisha, 29, the Perumbavur murder victim, has triggered a controversy, it is learnt that the district administration had ‘failed’ to make available any fund for the same, forcing the onlookers to share Rs 500 each to meet the expenses.
“There is a provision for a village officer to provide up to Rs 20, 000 through the tahsildar as cremation expense. The district administration authorities should have done it in this case as the victim hailed from a poor dalit family. However, nothing was done by them. Finally, the onlookers shared the money to meet the cremation expense that came to about Rs 5,500,” said Rayamangalam panchayat welfare standing committee chairman Jyotish Kumar.
The girl was found murdered on April 28. Her autopsy was done the next day and the body handed over to her relatives by April 29 evening. The body was cremated at the Malamury crematorium in a hurry on the same night itself which has turned into a controversy. Some had suggested that the body should be buried to facilitate future forensic and scientific evidence.
Meanwhile, a letter purportedly written by the Kuruppampady circle inspector to the municipal secretary allowing the cremation has come out. The letter states that all forensic evidence had been collected and that the relatives were free to bury or cremate the body.
