After 21 days, Vignesh mortal remains from Malaysia to be shipped back

Chennai:

Twenty-one days after the death of their 19-year-old son Vignesh in
Malaysia while undergoing on-the-job training in a ship, parents see a
ray of hope in getting back the mortal remains after Malaysian police
gave clearance for sending back the trainee sailor’s body to Madurai.



Vignesh, a engine cadet in Jams Marine College in Thoothkudi district
was on on-job training in ship Cara USIA owned by Nasinar SDN BHD
after coughing up Rs 2.75 lakh, which was done after the instruction
of college to his poor parents. He died as the ship violated safety
norms and exposed him along with two other sailors to poisonous gases
while working in a confined place in the ship.



Anuradha S, attache (Labour), High Commission of India in Malaysia
said that Malaysian police, which was asked to conduct investigation
into Vignesh’s death, has given clearance for sending the mortal
remains.



She said the Indian High Commission has issued 'No Objection
Certificate' on Wednesday and the mortal remains will be transported
on Thursday by flight MH 2715 from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur at 1130 hrs.
This will be followed by transit MH194 from Kuala Lumpur to Mumbai at
2020 hrs. From there through Air India flight AI 671 it will be
transferred to Madurai at 9.40am on Friday.



The news may have given some hope to the parents, who lost every penny
they saved for helping nurture their son’s ambition to become a
sailor, to see him once more for the last time.



Already in debt, the parents have harsh words for Jams Marine college,
which is operating without any approval of Director General of
Shipping, for forsaking them at a time when they were desparate to get
back their son’s body from Malaysia.



“The college has failed in its duty to help bring back the body of
Vignesh and rather asked for dropping the plea for enquiry into his
death,” says Vijayrani, who was made to pay Rs 2.75 lakh by giving a
bank account number along with a Pan card number allegedly by the
college.



Ganapathy, who was helping the family in getting back the body, said
the parents would be moving Madras High Court as well as seek help of
Madurai superintendent of police in filing a criminal case against the
college.



The mother says her family was helped by the village who provided them
with food. “We hardly cooked and stayed indoors without any hope. Now,
we are eager to receive my son,” she says.