Kerala High Court Dismisses Daughter's Appeal Against Donation Of CPI(M) Veteran MM Lawrence's Body To Medical College

The appeal was filed by Lawrence's daughter Asha Lawrence. She had argued that the Single Bench had wrongly interpreted Section 4A of the Kerala Anatomy Act. She submitted that when there was a dispute on the donation of the body, the authorities could not have accepted the body. She also argued that as per the provision, the request should have been made before the authority.

Soon after the death of Lawerence on September 21, Asha Lawrence approached the Kerala High Court to prevent handing over her father's body to Medical College by her siblings and CPI(M). She argued that her father never expressed any interest to donate his body to the medical college. She urged that the body ought to be buried according to the Christian rites.

The Single Judge had noted that the deceased had expressed his wish to donate his body to the medical college in the presence of 2 witnesses and thereby fulfilled the requirement under Section 4A of the Kerala Anatomy Act.

The veteran leader had passed away at the age of 95. He was the District Secretary of CPI(M) and was jailed during the emergency time. In the year 1980, he became Lok Sabha Member from Idukki district in Kerala, and later served as convener of LDF, member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and State and National secretary of Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

Case No: WA 1857/ 2024

Case Title: Asha Lawrence v State of Kerala and Others

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Ker) 810