The mortal remains of Jacintha Edna Barboza (nee Saldanha), who reportedly killed herself following a hoax phone call, arrived at Bajpe airport in Mangalore at 2:25 pm on Sunday from London via Mumbai on a Jet Airways flight.
In her suicide note, Jacintha, who was a senior nurse at London’s King Edward VII hospital, blamed the two Australian radio jockeys behind the prank for her death. The two RJs, pretending to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, had made a call to the hospital to enquire after the health of Prince William’s pregnant wife Kate, admitted there.
Jacintha’s mortal remains were directly taken to the Kasturba Medical College (KMC) hospital mortuary in Manipal.
Jacintha’s husband Benedict Barboza, son Junal and daughter Lisha, who accompanied the body from London, were received by Benedict’s sister Janet Fernandes and her husband Stephen Lawrence Fernandes.
Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes, who was present at the airport, offered his condolences to the family.
While Junal and Lisha went directly to Benedict’s home at Shirva, Benedict — with sister Janet and other family members — accompanied the mortal remains to the KMC hospital mortuary. After completing the formalities, he left for Our Lady of Health Church where he met Parish Priest Rev Fr Stany Tauro and held detailed discussions for more than an hour on the funeral preparations.
He also visited the cemetery where Jacintha will be laid to rest.
To a query at the airport, Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes flayed the prank call by the two Australian Radio Jockeys and said he will raise the issue in this regard after he reaches Delhi. Former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda, along with Kaup MLA Lalaji R Mendon, visited Benedict’s family at Shirva.
Funeral arrangements
Elaborate arrangements have been made for the funeral of Jacintha Saldanha to be held at Our Lady of Church at Shirva on Monday. The mortal remains will be brought to Benedict’s home on Monday afternoon. A short prayer service will be held at 2:30 pm at home and later, the body will be brought in procession to Our Lady of Health Church for public homage at 3 pm.
The funeral service will be held at 4 pm. Mangalore Diocesan Bishop Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza and Udupi Diocesan Bishop Rev Dr Jerald Isaac Lobo would lead the mass. More than 4,000 people are expected to take part. Police have made elaborate security arrangements.
A pall of gloom descended on his Shirva home as Benedict arrived there shortly after 7 pm. All were in tears as he hugged mother Carmine Barboza and other members of the family.
Junal and Lisha arrived at their father’s house in the evening itself.
Meanwhile, Jacintha’s mother, Carmine Saldanha, was not brought to Shirva on Sunday. She stayed back at Jacintha’s youngest brother Naveen Saldanha’s house in Mangalore. She will arrive at Shirva on Monday morning.
Media blitz
Though over two dozen foreign correspondents, including those from the BBC, The Guardian and The Australian, besides a large number of local, State and national television and print media personnel, had arrived at Mangalore airport and later at the mortuary at Manipal, Benedict did not speak to any media persons.
Jacintha’s last wish
Benedict Barboza and his family have appealed to media not to take any photographs of the mortal remains of Jacintha or his and his children. “The members of the family , too, have decided not to take any photograph or videograph the funeral ceremony,” sources told Deccan Herald.
It is learnt that it was also one of the last wishes of Jacintha that no photograph or videograph of the last rites should be taken.
Sources also said that but for Jacintha’s wish, the last rites would have been performed in London itself.