Dead Man Waits Final Journey As Two Wives Spar Over Body

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The body has been in the mortuary since August 16 as the wives are locked in a bitter battle.

The body has been in the mortuary since August 16 as the wives are locked in a bitter battle.

Chennai: Death is not the end but a beginning. For Dhakshinamoorthy, it meant the beginning of another ‘family’ fight. In a curious turn of events, his death has sparked a row between his wives— one a Christian, and the other a Hindu. They want his body should be buried as per the rituals prescribed by their respective religions.

As a result, Dhakshinamoorthy’s body has been lying in the Chengalpet government hospital mortuary since August 16.

When the case came for hearing in the Madras high court, Justice P N Prakash lamented the dead man’s fate, and said police can wait for two more days for the warring wives to arrive at a compromise, failing which the body can be disposed as unclaimed.

Dhakshinamoorthy married Thangammal first, and later married Gowri alias Yesumary. At the time of his death on August 16, Dhakshinamoorthy was living with his second wife in Kolappakkam.

When a quarrel as to where Dhakshinamoorthy should be buried broke out, his second wife showed a registered will wherein it had been stated that after Dhakshinamoorthy’s death, he should be buried in Kolappakkam village as per Christian (Roman Catholic) rites and customs.

Thangammal objected to this saying the will was fabricated. It was registered only on August 16, the day Dhakshinamoorthy died. Only his thumb impression has been obtained instead of signature.

The quarrel was dragged to a local police station, but even the police could not broker a compromise after three hours of mediation. The body was then taken to the mortuary of government hospital, Chengalpet, to prevent any health hazard.

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