HC orders preservation of CPI(M) leader's mortal remains till Oct 3 amid family dispute

Kochi, Sep 30 (IANS) Five days after the Kochi Medical College decided to take over the dead body of 95-year-old veteran CPI(M) leader M.M. Lawerence for study purposes, the Kerala High Court on Monday asked the college authorities to keep the body in the mortuary till Thursday.

Trouble broke out within the family of the veteran Communist when one of his daughters, Asha Lawerence, objected to the decision of her two siblings -- a brother and a sister -- who informed the party that the veteran had told them to donate his body to the Medical College for study purpose.

Lawerence passed away on September 21 at a hospital and on September 23, the Kerala High Court directed the Medical College authorities to decide according to the Anatomy Act, after Asha Lawerence approached the High Court to stop this.

On September 25, the college authorities after hearing the children decided to take over the body for medical study and research.

Asha Lawerence again approached the High Court and on Monday after a preliminary hearing, the Court asked the Medical College authorities to keep the body in the mortuary till Thursday when the Court will again conduct a detailed hearing.

Asha all along has maintained that her father was a Christian and had his baptism and wedding at the church and hence he should be buried at his parish, in the grave where her mother is interned. She has always taken the stand that she was not aware of any such decision that her father had made (to donate his body).

She went on to say that it is not mentioned in his autobiography and if her mother was alive, she would also not have agreed to it. So she approached the court.

However, Lawrence's son, advocate M.L.Sajeevan said that it was neither his wish nor that of the CPI(M)'s that his father’s body should be handed over for study purposes to the Medical College hospital here. He said his father had told him that he wished to hand over his body and hence he and his younger sister informed the party of the decision and they acted accordingly.

On the day when the body was taken from the hall to the Medical College, a commotion broke out with Asha and her son resisting. But they were overpowered by the party members and the body was taken away.

M.M. Lawrence was a Lok Sabha member from Idukki from 1980 till 1984. He was more known for his trade union activities and was a Central Committee member of the CPI(M).