The body of nurse Jacintha Saldanha was on Friday flown to India, the Indian High Commission here said, as a fresh controversy erupted over the circumstances leading to her death following a newspaper report that a suicide note she left behind contained criticism of the Edward VII hospital staff, though details were not known.
The Jet Airways flight carrying the body is scheduled to reach Mumbai early on Saturday. It would then be flown to Mangalore on Sunday for funeral.
The Guardian reported that one of the three handwritten notes left behind by Ms. Saldanha criticised the hospital staff in the wake of the hoax call from two Australian radio presenters who posed as the Queen and Prince Charles to obtain medical details of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Williams.
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Three days after answering the call, which she took to be genuine, Ms. Saldanha committed suicide by hanging herself in her house, close to the hospital.
“One note deals with the hoax call by the DJs from 2Day FM, another details her requests for her funeral, and the third addresses her employers, the hospital, and contains criticism of staff there, The Guardian understands from two separate sources,” the newspaper said. Typed copies of the three notes were given to her family and they had read them, it added.
The hospital defended its actions as it held a service in Ms. Saldanha’s memory. “King Edward VII's is a small hospital, with a tight-knit team. Everybody knew Jacintha, and we were all left deeply shocked by her tragic death following the hoax telephone call. This service was a chance for everyone here to pay their respects and remember a dear colleague,” said its chief executive John Lofthouse.
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Labour MP Keith Vaz, who is acting as a spokesman for Ms. Saldanha’s family, released a letter he wrote to Mr. Lofthouse, asking for the “full facts” to be given to the family.
“The family gave you a list of questions that they wish the hospital to answer so that they can have the full facts of the case. I know they would appreciate answers to their questions in writing as soon as possible. They may also have additional questions,” the letter said.
E-mails under scrutiny
The police said they were looking at a number of Ms. Saldanha’s e-mails and her telephone contacts as part of their investigation.
“There are a number of e-mails that are of relevance in helping us establish what may have led to this death, and we are also looking at the deceased’s telephone contacts. Detectives spoke to a number of witnesses, family, friends and colleagues in order to establish anything that led or may have contributed to this tragic death,” Detective Chief Inspector James Harman told a coroner’s court on Thursday.