The news of Sarathchandran Unnithan’s death in the prison riots in Sri Lanka has barely reached his native village of Keezhcherimel, near Chengannur, in Alappuzha of Kerala, where many remain unaware of the tragedy.

Even the local police and authorities have little information about the 73-year-old or the circumstances surrounding his death. According to local residents, it has been more than four decades since Unnithan and his family moved to Chennai and severed most of their ties with their ancestral village.

“We have had no connection with him or his family for decades. The only address we know is Fousiya Lodge, Stringer’s Street, Broadway, Chennai,” said one of his relatives in Chengannur.

The elderly relative, who declined to elaborate further, said she could barely remember details about the family or their present whereabouts.

According to available information, Unnithan arrived in Sri Lanka on March 2 and was arrested for allegedly possessing ganja. He was later lodged in the Negombo prison, where he died during the riots.

According to relatives, Unnithan moved permanently to Chennai after marrying a woman from Andhra Pradesh. He last visited his native village in 2018. One of his siblings continues to live in the village, though local residents said he rarely maintained contact with the family. They, however, said Unnithan was believed to have some connections in Thiruvananthapuram.