TRICHY: More than 500 people paid homage to Fr Stan Swamy at his native village in Virgaloor near Lalgudi here as his funeral took place in Mumbai on Tuesday evening.
Swamy’s elder brother T P L Hirudhayasamy and his family members watched a prayer live-streamed before his funeral at St Peter’s church at Bandra in Mumbai from their ancestral residence at Viragaloor at 4pm. “Since we did not have the opportunity to pay homage in person, we watched the prayer online,” said H Stans Sundar, son of Hirudhayasamy.
Sundar also said that around 500 people including the residents of Viragaloor, few Jesuit fathers from St Joseph’s college and office bearers of Christhuva Nallena Iyakkam took part in the candle light prayer at Seven Dollars Church in the village followed by a mass in the church. Hirudhaysamy’s grandson S Benitto Prabhu said that the police denied permission to hold a rally in the village citing Covid-19 norms on Tuesday. The family has been in touch with Indian Social Institute (ISI) director Joseph Xavier who was taking care of the funeral rites to Swamy in Mumbai. “The ash will be handed over to Xavier who will take it to Ranchi in Jharkhand as per the wish of our grandfather,” said Benitto.
Swamy, a Jesuit priest, who had Parkinson’s disease died at the Holy family hospital at Bandra in Mumbai on Monday afternoon while waiting for his bail in the case booked by NIA in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence.
