Meet the man who helped bring Sridevi's body come home
Away from the cameras' flash and the eyes of her fans, Sridevi's body made its way to a simple mortuary in UAE, where one man helped sign out her remains to return home. Ashraf "Sherry" Thamarassery, listed as "Ashraf" on official paperwork in Dubai, is a 44-year-old Indian from Kerala who is a ferryman of sorts for those who die in UAE. Here's more.
Repatriated bodies of indebted laborers as well as moneyed elite
From indebted laborers to the moneyed elite, Thamarassery has helped repatriate 4,700 bodies to 38 countries across the world. He views it as a noble responsibility in this desert sheikhdom that draws so many far from their homes, chief among them his compatriots.
It's the same process for anyone: Thamarassery
"For them, you or me, it's all the same and everyone is equal. If someone dies in their room, they will take them to the hospital and then to be checked at the police mortuary," Thamarassery told The Associated Press in an interview. He added, "It's the same process, whether Dubai or Sharjah or any emirate. Whether you're poor or rich, it doesn't matter."
Helped repatriate four other bodies apart from Sridevi's that day
Sherry offered shrugs when talking about Sridevi, saying he helped repatriate five other bodies yesterday including the famed Bollywood-star. But it's hard to overstate the power Sridevi had over the imagination of many in India. The 54-year-old Sridevi died in Dubai while in UAE for a wedding. Police and prosecutors say she drowned in a hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, calling her death accidental.
Clearance from Dubai Police delayed Sridevi's repatriation
While Indian officials quickly canceled Sridevi's passport and prepared other documents, Thamarassery said a needed police clearance slowed her repatriation. Once the clearance came, Thamarassery traveled to a simple government-run mortuary. Officials embalmed her corpse as Thamarassery handled paperwork for her and three others. An ambulance carried her body to a private-jet reportedly sent by Anil Ambani to take her home to be cremated.
Thamarassery focuses largely on philanthropic efforts
Thamarassery later returned home to the apartment he shares with his wife and daughter in Ajman, an emirate serving as a bedroom-community to skyscraper-studded Dubai some 35kms to the southwest. Thamarassery runs a mechanics shop but focuses largely on philanthropic efforts. Shelf upon shelf in his home bears honors and awards. A framed-picture hangs on the wall showing him meeting Indian PM Narendra Modi.
I do this to earn blessings: Thamarassery
Thamarassery said he helps in the repatriation of mortal remains "to earn blessings, but also when someone dies here, people don't know how to manage the repatriation procedures. That's why I do it."
