Two villages stake claim over dead priest’s body

VILLUPURAM: A tense situation prevailed at two villages near Ulundurpet as residents of both the villages sought to perform the final rites of a temple priest, who had died on Tuesday. According to police sources, Poomalai (60) of P Killanur village near Ulundurpet was a priest at the Mariamman temple in the village and stayed at a relative’s house.

He used to visit A Kurumbur village to meet his younger sister and relatives living there. He set off to Kurumbur on Tuesday, but is said to have slipped into a pond and drowned. Police rushed to the spot and recovered the body and sent it to Ulundurpet GH for autopsy.

Meanwhile, his sister and relatives from Kurumbur village came to the police station on Wednesday and demanded that the body of the priest be handed over to them for performing funeral. Meanwhile, his relatives from P Killanur came and sought the body.

Over 100 people from both the sides had gathered demanding the body. Inspector Ravichandran, after holding talks, took representatives from both sides to Ulundurpet Taluk Office. Tahsildar Gopalakrishnan mediated and it was finally agreed to take the body to A Kurumbur for the rites, and then to P Killanur village, where it will be buried.