Chennai: Encroachers deny cremation rights to woman in corporation crematorium

Chennai, Jan 17 (IANS) A family at Pallavaram in Chennai has lodged a complaint with the Tambaram commissionerate of police after a group of encroachers blocked the cremation of a 64-year-old woman on Sunday in a corporation crematorium.

The deceased woman Kannamal was later cremated at a nearby facility and the family lodged a complaint with the police that the encroachers created a ruckus against cremation at Pallavaram crematorium of the Tambaram corporation which was used by a Hindu community with 5,000 members for the past several decades.

K.Balakrishnan, a relative of Kannamal, said that the encroachers were trying to use the crematorium land ever since the lockdown and were trying to take it over by preventing cremation. The encroachers, according to the complainants behaved like 'thugs'.

Tambaram corporation commissioner M. Elangovan passed on the complaint to the police who arrived in large numbers but the encroachers were adamant not allowing cremation at the Tambaram corporation crematorium at Pallavaram citing smoke that emanates during cremation.

Police, according to the complainant, requested the family to conduct the last rites at another crematorium near the area to prevent law and order situation.

S. Jayanthi, who was maintaining the crematorium, said that the encroachers were trying to usurp the land ever since the lockdown began and wanted to prevent cremations so that they could occupy the land at a later stage.

Tambaram police commissioner, M. Ravi said that he would hold a meeting with all the concerned parties and will restore the rights of the affected persons.