After leaders of political parties and hundreds of people from various walks of life paid homage to slain Police Inspector Periyapandi at his native place Salaipudur near here on Thursday midnight, his mortal remains were laid to rest in his family farm already housing the tombs of his ancestors including his father Selvaraj.
A huge crowd was waiting to pay their last respects to the murdered police officer. As the police vehicle carrying the body entered the village at 11.15 p.m., there was a huge cry and lamentations from his relatives and villagers.
After Roman Catholic priests, led by Most Rev. A. Jude Paulraj, Bishop of Palayamkottai Diocese, conducted special prayers in front of the coffin surrounded by the family members of Periyapandi, including his wife Bhanu Rekha and sons Ruben and Rahul, the mortal remains were taken to his farm 200 metres away.
Following gun salute by the police, the body was laid to rest near the tombs of his grandparents and father at 1.05 a.m.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who was waiting at Salaipudur for nearly two hours for the arrival of the body, said the Panchayat Union Primary School in the hamlet should be named after Periyapandi as he had donated 15 cents of land for the school, giving education to 50 children, predominantly from Dalit families.
Actor Karthi, whose recent hit ‘Dheeran Athikaaram Ondru’ that featured a police officer successfully arresting a gang of interstate burglars from Rajasthan, paid floral tributes to the slain police officer.
He was participating in the shooting of his film near Tenkasi.
Collector Sandeep Nanduri, Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Shailesh Kumar Yadhav, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, Kapilkumar S. Saratkar, Superintendent of Police P.Ve. Arunshakthikumar, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Su. Thirunavukkarasar and others paid their last respects to the murdered police officer.
