Karthik cremated without body taken to house

However, his family members whisked his body straightaway to the crematorium located at the entrance of his village Koothadivayal near Aranthangi in Pudukkottai on Wednesday. The last rites were completed quickly and his body cremated.

Karthik was declared as brain dead and his organs were harvested at Gleneagles Global Hospital, with his liver and kidney being donated to VK Sasikala’s husband M Natarajan. Sources said 19-year-old Karthik, a worker in a flex fixing firm who had a head injury after he met with an accident on September 30 was undergoing treatment in Thanjavur Medical College Hospital. 

However, Karthik’s parents Natarajan and Parvathi were firm in their demand that he discharged from the hospital. Accordingly, the medical college discharged the teenager, based on the request by his parents despite his medical condition. Karthik, who suffered cerebral haemorrhage, was reportedly promised better medical care by a few people known to some politicians and was airlifted to Chennai by an air ambulance hired from Coimbatore. 

Four members from his family, including his parents, accompanied Karthik. Although the family was not in a position to afford a high-class facility, they were allegedly promised all help by a group of people with political contacts. 

“We were promised better treatment in Chennai and so we voluntarily sought discharge from Thanjavur Medical College Hospital. We even accompanied him to Chennai,” said Parvathi, Karthik’s mother. 

“However, we were informed a few hours after reaching Chennai that the doctors could not save my son,” said Parvathi who can neither read nor write. Parvathi confirmed that they had not spent any money on any of the arrangements in airlifting their son to Chennai.

Nor had they received any amount from anyone. “Since he was not saved, we were advised to donate the organs and we accepted,” said the bereaved mother. Karthik’s body arrived by road at 8.30 pm on Wdnesday and cremated, leaving many people with more unanswered questions.