Teen attends engg counselling a day after father dies in accident

 In an hour of loss and crisis, a 17-year-old youth showed intense resolve to pursue his dream of studying engineering by turning up to attend his college counselling soon after losing his father in a road accident.

Encouraged by his father in his final moments to not lose out on what could perhaps be the last opportunity to pursue engineering, K R Birathiunan travelled to Chennai with a heavy heart to attend the counselling at Anna University.

He secured admission in a nearby college, fulfilling the last wish of his father, who was killed yesterday when the car collided with a lorry at Ulunthoorpet in Villupuram district. He was travelling to Chennai with relatives and the youth for the counselling.

Birathiunan's father, Raveendran, was a Head Constable with Civil Supplies wing of CID, a relative of the family said.

"He could not get admission into an engineering course 10 days back under sports quota and so they did not want to lose out this time when he was called for counselling," Thamizhamuthu, a lawyer and a relative of the teen, told PTI.

Birathiunan waited till his mother arrived from their native village in Puthukottai district to take care of rest of the formalities, he said.

After arriving at a suburban bus terminal, he left for Anna University with a policeman on a two-wheeler, the advocate said, adding, "They hail from a small village and this (of continuing with the journey despite his father's death) is a big decision for Birathiunan".

Birathiunan suffered a minor injury in the accident.
Recounting the night of accident, the youth said his father had made it clear that he had to proceed to Chennai and that he could not refuse his last wish as it had implications for the family.

"This (engineering education) is for my father," he said in his brief telephonic interaction with PTI.

He said he was "happy" to get a seat in a college which was on top of his priority institutions.