The body of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar has been taken to his native village of Agatheeswaram in Kanyakumari district for the last rites, which would be conducted on Sunday in the presence of his family members, close friends, and village residents. 

The septuagenarian was tested positive for the COVID-19 viral infection earlier this month and he was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. He was at a critical state and under the support of the ventilator and ECMO. On Friday, his health had deteriorated and he breathed his last on the evening hours of Friday at the age of 70, becoming one of the notable figures to succumb to the viral infection. 

According to the reports, his body was kept in his residence in T Nagar in Chennai and thousands of people, including politicians and employees of his commercial empires Vasanth & Co and Vasanth TV, and local residents had paid their tributes to the deceased leader and on Saturday morning, his body was kept at the Sathyamoorthy Bhavan, the headquarters of Tamil Nadu Congress party, during which the party leaders had placed their condolences. 

Senior Congress leaders including Mukul Wasnik had paid obituary to the businessman turned politician. In a short time, arrangements were made to transport his body to his native village in Kanyakumari district. His body was loaded into the ambulance and started to his native place through the road. The reports say that the body is expected to reach Agatheeswaram by 9 pm on Saturday and the last rites will be taking place on Sunday. 

Addressing the reporters, Vasanthakumar's son Vijay Vasanth, who is also an actor in Tamil Cinema, said that the demise of my father is not a loss for just his family members but it is a great loss for the business community and Congress party members. By citing that the last rites have been arranged at their native place, he stated that the last rites will be conducted on Sunday in the presence of our family members, close friends, and village residents. 

Vijay Vasanth further added that many leaders won't be able to attend the funeral due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the restrictions and they have paid their condolences through phone calls. Vasanthakumar has been the prominent face in Tamil Nadu and he had established Vasanth & Co in 1978 and the brand now became the largest home appliances retail chain in Tamil Nadu and he has also founded the Vasanth TV. 

Many national and state leaders had paid their condolences for the deceased leaders. On Friday, Prime Minister Modi, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, P Chidambaram, Randeep Surjewala, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, DMK President MK Stalin, Puducherry Chief Minister Narayasamy, senior Tamil Nadu ministers, actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, DMDK President Vijayakanth and other allied party leaders had paid their homage to the Congress MP, who was surviving with his wife and three children.