Funeral or medical research: Kerala HC to decide on CPM leader MM Lawrence's body on October 23

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday will decide on what to do with the body of senior CPM leader MM Lawrence, who passed away on September 21, aged 95.

While Lawrence's son, M L Sajeevan, and his daughter, Sujatha Boban, wanted to donate the mortal remains to the medical college for teaching students, his other daughter objected to this and wanted a Christian funeral. Till the court takes a final decision, the body will be kept in the mortuary of the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital at Kalamassery.

Earlier, a medical board constituted following the court's order had decided to accept the body for medical studies. But Asha moved the court against it, claiming that the bench did not conduct a proper hearing before deciding to release the body for medical studies.

She demanded a proper hearing before making a final decision. Sujatha, another daughter of Lawrence, who had earlier given written consent to hand over the body to the medical college, denied it in the High Court on Friday. She told the court that she had not given the consent form with proper awareness.

Sajeevan clarified that his father had expressed his wish to donate the body for medical studies. There were two witnesses, he told the court.