Noted Jurist V R Krishna Iyer, who championed the cause of the downtrodden throughout his life, was on Friday cremated with full state honours after a galaxy of politicians led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and those from the legal fraternity paying their last respects.
After the customary gun salute by police, Justice Iyer’s two sons Ramesh Iyer and Paramesh Iyer performed last rites amidst chanting of vedic hymns.
The body was then shifted to the LPG fired crematorium for the final journey. Ports and Fisheries Minister K Babu represented the government at the funeral.
Justice Iyer passed away at a private hospital here on Thursday.The body was kept at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium from around 9.30 am to 4.30 pm to enable public to pay homage. Twenty-five visually challenged students of a blind school from nearby Aluva along with their teachers also came to bid adieu to Iyer.
Arbutammal, mother of Perarivalan, an accused in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case, was also in Kochi to pay her respects.
Justice Iyer’s body was then was shifted to his residence, ‘Satgamaya’ to enable the family members to perform various rites. Social activist Swami Agnivesh also attended the funeral.
Several leaders in Tamil Nadu paid tributes to justice Iyer. Jayalalitha said in her condolence message: “The passing away of Justice Krishna Iyer, former judge of the Supreme Court of India, is indeed a huge loss to the nation. Apart from being an erudite judge, he was a great humanitarian and social worker.
His distinctiveness was evident in the fact that he served as a politician, legislator and administrator.”
She said Iyer delivered innumerable landmark judgment which stand etched in the annals of judicial history.
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