Thiruvananthapuram: Revenue minister A P Anilkumar has directed the land revenue commissioner to suspend Payyannur tahsildar Paul K P over the transportation of the body of swimming instructor R Rajesh, who died while rescuing flood-hit residents in Kannur, without a freezer facility.The action was taken based on an inquiry report submitted by Kannur district collector P Vishnuraj, who also recommended action against the tahsildar. The minister had promised to take strict action against officials responsible for lapses in handling the incident. He also assured the family of all necessary assistance from the govt.The collector recorded statements of the tahsildar, Cherupuzha police as well as the superintendent and principal of Pariyaram medical college. The collector concluded that the tahsildar committed a serious lapse by deciding to transport the body in an ambulance without a freezer.Rajesh’s relatives had requested a freezer-equipped ambulance on Tuesday to transport the body to Nemom after the postmortem. However, the principal of Pariyaram Medical College informed the tahsildar that an ambulance with a freezer facility was not available.The tahsildar subsequently approached private ambulance operators, but they reportedly demanded fares ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 33,000. The arrangement was subsequently dropped, and the body was transported without a freezer facility.The incident triggered criticism over the handling of the body.
