Mortal remains of Keralite industrialist airlifted to Kerala

PTI, May 1, 2020, 7:25 AM IST

Kozhikode: The mortal remains of Keralite Industrialist and oil tycoon in the UAE, Joy Arakkal, who allegedly committed suicide, were brought to Kerala by a chartered flight from Dubai on Thursday April 30 night.

“Arakkal’s wife and two children accompanied the body,” airport sources said.

The Dubai police had confirmed that Arakkal,54, had committed suicide by jumping from the 14th floor of a building in Business Bay on April 23.

Malappuram SP U Abdul Kareem told PTI that the air ambulance reached the Karipur airport around 2000 hrs and the remains were taken to Varayal near Mananthavady in Wayanad district for performing the last rites.

It is the second air ambulance which is landing at Karipur since the lockdown came into force.

On April 24, a chartered air ambulance had airlifted a critically ill patient Prasad Das, from the UK to Kozhikode for treatment at a hospital here.

Bodies of seven people, who died of non-Covid-19 infection, had been brought in cargo flights on April 28 here.

Owner and founder of several business ventures based in the UAE, Joy Arakkal had been a successful business magnate from Kerala, who was recently awarded the UAE Gold Card which grants holders and their dependents a renewable 10-year residency visa in the UAE.

Joy Arakkal has been in the limelight in connection with the house-warming ceremony of his 45,000 square feet palatial house, named Arakkal Palace, at Manathavady in Wayanad a few months ago.

This is said to be the biggest house in Kerala. Arakkal was on the board of 11 companies in the state besides being active in charitable activities in Wayanad.

The funeral is expected to be held at Kaniyapuram St Joseph cathedral near Mananthavady on Friday morning.