Covid victim’s body exhumed in Farrukhabad, taken to Kerala

Kanpur:The last wish of a man, who died during the first Covid -19 wave, was fulfilled on Wednesday when his body, buried at a local cemetery in Farrukhabad, was exhumed to be relocated to the cemetery in his native town in Kerala.A resident of Kerala, Paul EJ died of corona on April 24, 2021. Both Paul EJ and his wife Jolly Paul were residents of Kottam Imperial House, Kottayam district of Kerala, and were teachers at the Anthony School in Farrukhabad.The local administration did not allow his body to be taken to Kerala and buried it in the cemetery located at Sheeshambagh in Fatehgarh Kotwali police area of Farrukhabad.On August 28, 2022, his wife Jolly Paul gave an application to the Farrukhabad district authorities stating that as per her family’s consent, she wanted to take the mortal remains of her husband to Kerala and bury them in the ancestral cemetery.District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar gave permission after seeking a report from the prosecuting officer and the chief medical officer in this regard.The DM ordered digging of his grave under the supervision of SDM (Sadar) Sanjay Kumar Singh.On Wednesday, health department officials including SDM (Sadar) reached the cemetery, where the grave was dug in the presence of Paul EJ’s wife Jolly Paul. After that, the mortal remains of Paul EJ were handed to his wife Jolly Paul.Jolly Paul told officials that the decision to bury her husband in Kerala has been taken with the consent of family members because it was her husband’s wish that he should be buried in his ancestral cemetery in his hometown in Kerala.“My husband had the wish that after his death, he should be buried in his ancestral cemetery in Kottayam district of Kerala and I went to great lengths just to fulfill his wish,” she said further.SDM (Sadar) Sanjay Kumar Singh said , “Respecting her faith, this decision was taken and yesterday (Wednesday) she took the mortal remains of her husband in a coffin to her native town in Kerala.”