On Saturday, the couple were on board the crashed Air India Express plane, on their way back to pick up their baby daughter as they could afford a visa for her now. Naveen Fernandes (36) worked for Spinneys supermarket, while his wife Saritha D’Souza (24) was employed at Dubai Mall in Dubai. They lived together with Naveen’s brother, sister and brother-in-law. Naveen’s previous work permit did not allow him to take his baby as he was in the low income category. He had found a better paying job with a tea company and the next thing the couple did was to fly to India to take their daughter back with them. The little one who was separated from her parents, is now orphaned for ever.
“I dropped my brother and sister-in-law at Dubai airport on Friday night and returned home,” said Merwin, Naveen’s brother, who too works in Dubai. “As I was waiting for my sister and brother-in-law, I saw the aircraft land, followed by the rush of fire tenders and ambulances. We heard a loud noise but were told that it was just a tyre burst. We realised the plane had crashed much later when TV channels started beaming the news,” said Saritha’s brother here.
Naveen’s parents, James Fernandes, an auto driver, and Leena Fernandes, as well as Saritha’s parents were inconsolable. A large number of people gathered for the funeral service at Holy Cross Church at Cordel in Kulshekar. The bodies of the couple were placed in a closed coffin with a small opening near their faces, through which their near and dear ones had their last glimpse.
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