The Puthiya Thalaimurai Foundation on Saturday, October 28, handed over Rs 34 lakh ex-gratia to the family members of video journalist Shankar who passed away in a road accident two months ago. 32-year-old Shankar worked as a cameraperson in Tirunelveli for the Puthiya Thalaimurai news channel, and is survived by his wife Lakshmi and a 7-year-old son.
P Sathyanarayanan, Founder and Managing Trustee of the Puthiya Thalaimurai Foundation, handed over the cheque to Lakhsmi, and promised that the foundation would take care of the education expenses of her son.
Shankar passed away this year when he reportedly went to interview aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan on the day Chandrayaan 3 landed on the moon's surface. After the interview, he traveled from Nambi’s house to Tirunelveli by road in the early hours of August 24. Shankar was accompanied by fellow journalists Nagarajan, Vallinayagam, and Narayanan in the car. The vehicle met with an accident near the Nanguneri toll gate and all of them were critically injured.
Though they were rushed to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, Shankar was declared dead on arrival.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor RN Ravi condoled with Shankar's family members, and the Tamil Nadu government announced Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia in compensation. The Puthiya Thalaimurai Foundation’s aid for the family on humanitarian grounds has been welcomed by the journalistic fraternity.