Family row over Kerala communist leader’s body: Panel recommends donation to medical college

Kalamassery:In a dramatic turn of events, the body of the late senior Communist leader M.M. Lawrence is set to be donated for medical studies. This decision comes after a series of disputes within his family that required intervention from the Kerala High Court.

Family dispute over donation
Following Lawrence's death in a private hospital in Kochi on Saturday, a public viewing was held at his residence and later at the Town Hall. Conflicts arose among his children regarding his wish to donate his body for medical studies. Advocate M.L. Sajeevan and Sujatha Boban supported their father's decision, while their sister, Asha, opposed it, insisting on cremation instead. Asha’s opposition culminated in legal action against her siblings during the public viewing.

Tensions escalated further when Asha and her son refused to allow the body to be removed from the Town Hall, leading to a scuffle outside. The police were called to intervene and forcibly removed Asha to enable the body to be taken. Following this incident, Asha filed a complaint with the City Police Commissioner, alleging that she and her son had been assaulted during the confrontation.

High Court intervention
To resolve the dispute, the High Court formed a panel led by Dr Prathap Somanath, Principal of Ernakulam Government Medical College. The panel was tasked with hearing the children’s statements and making a decision on the donation. Somanath confirmed that the body would be embalmed and other formalities would proceed. He noted that two witnesses testified that Lawrence had expressed a desire to donate his body for medical studies, and he found their testimony credible. He also pointed out that the arguments for the donation were valid under the Kerala Anatomy Act.