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Jacintha Saldanha laid to rest
The body of Jacintha Saldanha was laid to rest at the Our Lady of Health Church at Shirva, Udupi on Monday. The funeral took place amidst a large congegration of mourners.
Jacintha, who worked at a hospital in London, allegedly committed suicide after she inadvertently became part of a hoax by a radio station that revealed the news of Prince William's wife Kate Middleton's pregnancy.
The cortege carrying Jacintha Saldanha was initially kept at her home in Udupi and was taken to the church after a prayer service by parish priest Satny Tauro. The media was requested not to cover the event as it was one of the last wishes made by Jacintha.
Reportage: Vicky Nanjappa
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Jacintha Saldanha laid to rest
Her mother Carmine Saldanha, who was present at the venue, was inconsolable. She had not been told that her daughter had committed suicide.
Jacintha's sisters had told her that she had been unwell for quite some time and had passed away at a hospital in London.
There was some confrontation between media personnel and policemen, who refused to allow the former to cover the event. The police claimed that Jacintha's family members didn't want the event to be covered by the media. The family later sent out a letter stating there should be no media coverage of the event.
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Jacintha Saldanha laid to rest
Jacintha's husband Benedict Barboza, who addressed the media after the funeral, thanked media personnel and people who had extended their support. Steven Almeida, a friend of the family, said that everyone was still shocked and saddened by the incident.
"They do not have the strength to speak about the incident at the moment. They should be allowed to grieve in peace. We have been assured by the London police that a thorough investigation will be conducted about the incident," he said.
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Jacintha Saldanha laid to rest
Benedict Barboza said that the family had been assured that a fair probe will be conducted and he didn't want to comment any further on the incident. He also requested the media not to hound the family with questions.
An update will be given once the probe into the matter is conducted, he said.
He also defended the family's decision to have a closed casket and not allow the media to cover the funeral.
"The family is in a bad state and we did not want any further problems," he said.
Barboza said that the his family will return to the United Kingdom, but added that the date and time of their return had not been decided yet.
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