After family, Wayanad landslide survivor Sruthi loses fiance Jenson to tragic accident
Wayanad (Kerala), Sep 12: People of Kerala bid an emotional farewell on Thursday to a 27-year-old man, who had selflessly stood by his fiancee after she lost her entire family in devastating landslides, as his body was brought to his village, a day after he succumbed to injuries sustained in an accident two days earlier.
Before being taken to his village near Ambalavayal and later to the cemetery of Nithya Sahaya Matha Church, Jenson's body was brought to the ICU of a hospital where his fiancee, Shruti, is being treated for injuries sustained in the same accident.
Hundreds of people gathered to pay their last respects and take one final look at Jenson as his body was brought to his village, hospital, and church. His burial was completed at around 4.35 pm.
Jenson's death in the accident sent shockwaves through Kerala society, with many, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, and film stars Mammootty and Fahadh Faasil, recalling his exceptional kindness and compassion towards Shruti, with whom he had been in a relationship for the past 10 years.
His shocking death occurred just as 24-year-old Shruti was barely coming to terms with the loss of her entire family in the recent catastrophic landslides in Wayanad district on July 30.
Netizens recalled Jenson's remarks, made with Shruti by his side weeks after the July 30 landslides in Wayanad, where he said, "The only concern that lingers is that if something happens to me, either today or tomorrow, won't she feel like a complete orphan?"
In a Facebook post, CM Vijayan said the news of Jenson's death - the fiance of Chooralmala native Shruti, who lost her parents, sister, and other loved ones in the recent landslide disaster in Wayanad - is "extremely painful."
"Having lost her family and home in the landslide on July 30, Shruti is now facing another tragedy. No compensation can make up for the losses suffered by those affected by disasters. All we can offer now is our solidarity with Shruti. We share the grief of Shruti and Jenson's families. May Shruti find the strength to overcome these challenges and hardships," Vijayan said.
Satheesan said no words can comfort Shruti.
"May Shruti find the strength to overcome any adversity. Just a call away, the entire nation stands with Shruti, ready to offer any assistance. Farewell, Jenson, with tears and respects," he said in a Facebook post.
Later, in a statement, Satheesan said that after the landslide disaster, he had met Shruti and Jenson when he visited Wayanad.
The Congress leader pledged to provide all necessary support to Shruti, just like she is his own daughter.
"I will bring to the Chief Minister's attention the importance of providing a government job to Shruti," he said.
Actor Mammootty said Jenson's passing causes immense sorrow.
"Shruti's pain... is beyond what can be imagined... May Shruti and Jenson's loved ones receive boundless strength to bear this loss," he wrote on his social media page.
Fahadh Faasil shared a photo of Jenson on his Facebook page and said, "You will be remembered till the end of time my brother".
Tragedy had struck Shruti, an accountant at a hospital in Kozhikode district, on July 30 when her family of nine, including her parents and younger sister were killed in the landslides that struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages of Meppadi panchayat.
Her only support during the tragic times was Jenson, with whom she had got engaged on June 2 after a 10-year-long courtship.
On August 29, the couple had visited the Puthumala graveyard where some of her family were buried and reaffirmed their commitment to each other.
Days later, on September 10, Jenson got critically injured when his car collided head-on with a private bus.
Shruti and some other family members of Jenson, who were also travelling in the same car, also got injured in the accident.
When the couple had reaffirmed their commitment to each other, Jenson, who works for a car cleaning company in the district, had said that he promised himself that he would never leave the side of his school-time friend Shruti when she told him about the tragedy that had befallen her family.
The couple, initially set to tie the knot in December with fanfare, were planning to have a simple court-registered marriage in September.
Shruthi lost about Rs 4 lakh in cash and around 15 'sovereigns' of gold along with her newly-built home that was washed away in the landslides that claimed over 200 lives.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
