Kalyani becomes just memory; funeral of three-and-a-half-year-old girl completed in absence of her remanded mother

KOCHI: Kalyani's body, without a smile that everyone was familiar with, entered the courtyard covered in the dark cloud of grief. Grandmother Rajamma burst into tears. The courtyard was submerged in tears. Father Subhash, who had embraced Kalyani's body and kissed it, stood in despair. "He can't bear to see his daughter like this," someone said loudly. Brother Kashinath kissed his younger sister with tears. The uncles Sumesh and Sudheesh, who were in tears, stood with their faces covered. The locals witnessed everything with tearful eyes. Kalyani's mother Sandhya (35), who was on remand, and her relatives were not present there.

Subhash's daughter was three and a half years old. Hours of prayers went in vain. Kalyani, who sank to her death, will not return. The body of the child, who was thrown into the river by her mother, was kept for public viewing at her ancestral home and then cremated at the Thiruvaniyoor public crematorium at 5 pm today. Thousands of people, including public representatives, paid their respects with tears.

Kalyani's grandfather Velayudhan is not aware of her passing. He is in the intensive care unit of Kolenchery Medical Mission Hospital due to a serious stomach ailment.

Uncle with new clothes

Kalyan, who was taken from the Anganwadi, was thrown into the Chalakudy river by her mother at around 7 pm on Monday. The body, which was stuck between the tree branches that were stuck in the middle of the Moozhikkulam bridge, was found by the police at around 2.15 am. After the postmortem at Kalamassery Medical College, the body was brought home at 3.30 pm today. A public viewing was held at the ancestral home courtyard, where Kalyani played around. The sight of Uncle Sumesh placing the new clothes and hat that he had bought as a gift for young Kalyani on the body moved everyone to tears.