Kochi ,Sept 20:
The bodies of two Malayali women who were brutally killed in California in the United States will be brought to Kerala on Monday after the completion of legal formalities abroad.
The deceased have been identified as Anjana Hari, a native of Mudikkode in Thrissur, and Ann Mary Mathew of Kakkanad Lane in Kesavadasapuram, Thiruvananthapuram. Their bodies are expected to arrive at Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery by around 8 am.
The killings, which took place on August 28, had sent shockwaves through the Malayali community in the United States and Kerala. Anila, a Kottayam native and a friend of Anjana, has been identified as the alleged suspect behind the two killings.
The repatriation of the bodies was delayed due to the procedures required in the United States. The bodies are being flown to Kerala after the completion of post-mortem examinations, embalming and formalities involving American authorities, including the departments dealing with foreign affairs and immigration.
Relatives of both women will receive the bodies at the Kochi airport. Anjana’s body will be taken to her family residence at Mudikkode in Thrissur district. Her funeral is scheduled to be held on the family premises on Monday evening.
Ann Mary’s body will be transported from the airport to Kottayam, the native district of her husband. Her funeral service will be held on Tuesday, followed by burial at the cemetery of St Ignatius Church in Pannimattom.
The deaths of the two women have deeply affected Malayali expatriates in the United States. Community organisations abroad extended support to their families and helped complete the formalities required to send the bodies home.
The repatriation process was expedited through coordination among expatriate organisations, the families and the Kerala government’s Non-Resident Keralites Affairs department.