Indian High Commission to repatriate body of Aravind on Wednesday: Viewing arranged for Monday

By A Staff Reporter

LONDON July 8: The body of Aravind Sasikumar (37), who was stabbed to death by a another Keralite at his home in London’s Peckham on 16th June 2023, will be brought home in Kerala on Thursday 13th July 2023.

Due to the nature of the incident and death there were delays in processing the paperworks. However, the Indian High Commission officers were prompt in their actions and ensured there were no delays from their part for the most earliest repatriation possible.

The court on Thursday ordered that the body be handed over to the funeral service as it was found that the body was not required for further investigation by the police.

The body, which was taken over by Southall Funeral Service in Southall yesterday, will be flown home via Dubai on an Emirates flight from London on Wednesday morning. The body will arrive in an Emirates flight from Dubai to Nedumbassery on Thursday. After the rituals at home, the funeral will be held on the same day at Ravipuram crematorium in Ernakulam.

The police have collected more specimens from the body to help them in case any further investigation is required in the future.

Aravind Sasikumar, a native of Panampilly Nagar, was stabbed to death by another Keralite housemate who was staying with him at his residence. The accused, Salman Saleem (25), a native of Edachira in Varkala, was arrested by the police on the same day. The accused, who was produced in court, has been remanded in judicial custody till the conclusion of the trial. The case has been put up for hearing in July 2024. Police are still investigating further into the incidents that led to the murder.

The body of Aravind Sasikumar will be kept for public viewing at the Southall Funeral Service Offices from 5.30 pm to 6 pm on Monday 10th July 2023 for friends and family to pay homage to Aravind.

Aravind’s brother Shekhar was assisted from day one by a group of Keralites based in London by proivding him with guidance. The community members made contacts with the Indian High Commission on the first day and High Commission official made contacts with Aravind’s brother and he was given an email address and direct contact number for him to contact them at any time.

Shekhar was also promptly helped to complete the Indian Community Welfare Fund by the community members and follow up with providing the required documents for the High Commission to make a decision on funding the repatriation costs. This led to the Indian High Commission confirming the repatriation costs.

The community members also sourced a funeral directors who ensured that all necessary documents were obtained for the smooth repatriation. Due to Aravind’s passport being expired HCI had to issue him with a emergency travel documents. The funeral director liaised with the HCI, Police and Coroner’s office to have all the documents in place.

Shekhar always had someone to talk to during times of need as he was part of a Whatsapp group of Keralites in London and thus help was always made available to him.  A member from the Keralite community in London also made contacts with the Aravind’s mother and offered solace and reassurance on what efforts are being made for the repatriation.

Aravind is the son of Sasikumar and Sreedevi, a retired LIC officer at his residence in Panampilly Nagar (HG42). Hailing from Kayamkulam, they came to Ernakulam as part of their work and settled down. Aravind came to the UK on a student visa ten years ago. When it expired, it was later shifted to another visa.

The accused Salman Saleem, a native of Edachira in Varkala, has confessed to the crime, he said that he did not know what had happened and that his mental state was not right and that someone had made him do all this. According to the statement of the accused, it appears that some external force is controlling him. To counter this, the police will complete the proceedings including the psycho-evaluation of the accused and submit a report. The police have decoded the phone of the accused and investigations are ongoing.

According to the FIR, the post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was a deep wound in the chest. The report, however, did not specify the reason that led to the clash. Aravind was not drunk on the day of the incident. He ate the food three hours before his death. Aravind, who came home after having dinner at the shop where he works, was attacked after an argument over some issue. The actual reasons for the detah will only come out once full investigations are completed.