CHENNAI: A 39-year-old Tamil Ayyappa devotee succumbed to burns at the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital here, 10 days after he was allegedly scalded by boiling water in Kerala while on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. It was the first trip to Sabarimala for D Santhavelu (39), a plumber and resident of Thiruvenkadam Nagar at Thiruverkadu. He was part of an 80-member group that left for Sabarimala under one Chandragurusamy on January 6, according to his brother D Palanivel (38), a driver.Two days later, Santhavelu’s wife Chitra received a call, saying her husband was admitted with burns at a government hospital in Kottayam. “My sister-in-law took a few of the local women with her and started on January 9 and reached Kottayam the next day,” Palanivel said.She found that his back, hip and legs had been severely scalded. Santhavelu, who was conscious and able to speak, told her that he had a verbal altercation with some people at a teashop at Pamba and one of them threw boiling water on him. His group abandoned him and proceeded with their journey and two Tamil pilgrims admitted him at the hospital.On noticing her husband’s deteriorating condition, Chitra brought him to the city and admitted him at KMCH on January 11. He succumbed to burns early on Sunday, Palanivel said.While the Kerala Police did not register any case against the culprits in Pamba, a case under Section 174 of CrPC was registered at the KMCH police post, he said adding that ACP Rajaram was investigating the case. Demanding a thorough probe into the incident that caused Santhavelu’s death, his family members said they had lodged a complaint against Chandragurusamy, who had abandoned him midway.
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