Tearful farewell to C K Menon

THRISSUR: A tearful farewell was given to Padma Shri recipient and prominent entrepreneur C K Menon by people from various walks of life in Thrissur on Wednesday evening. The last rites of Menon, who died on Tuesday evening, were performed at Paramekkav Devaswom’s Santhighat crematorium with state honours.
The body of the 72-year-old Menon, who breathed his last at Apollo Hospital, Chennai, was first brought to his house at Ravipuram in Kochi, and subsequently to his ancestral home in Thrissur.Minister E P Jayarajan, leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala, NRI businessman M A Yusaff Ali, UDF convener Benny Behnan and many other prominent personalities paid their last respects to Menon at Kochi.
Ministers V S Sunilkumar and A C Moideen, chief whip K Rajan, T N Prathapan, MP, Thrissur mayor Ajitha Vijayan, lyricist and musician Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, and leaders of various political parties as well as prominent personalities from business fields were present when his body was brought to his ancestral home in Thrissur.
The family sources said Menon was ailing for the last one year and was undergoing treatment in hospital. He was shifted to Apollo Hospital about a week back after his condition worsened.
Menon was the chairman and chief executive officer of the Behzad Corporation, headquartered in Doha, Qatar, which has presence in 12 other countries. He was awarded Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2006 and Padma Shri in 2009. He was also philanthropist and was willing to support people facing crisis and deprivations. He supported the rehabilitation of the slum dwellers who were evicted from Thrissur Railway station area. Menon also played a prominent role in the repatriation of the nurses who were stuck in Iraq during the war.
Menon, who is the son of Puliyankott Narayanan Nair and Cheril Karthyayani Amma of Patturaikkal in Thrissur city, had his education at Vivekodayam School CMS School, St Thomas College and Sree Kerala Varma College. Later, he acquired law degree from Jabalpur University. He began his business career by supporting his father in running a private bus service, which was wound up in 1974. Menon received an employment in Qatar in 1975, and eventually became a flourishing entrepreneur there.
Menon leaves behind his wife Jayasree Menon, daughters Anjana Menon and Sreeranjini Menon (UK), and son Jayakrishnan Menon, who is the executive director of Behzad Corporation.