Memorial meet for Dubai expat killed in India crash

Dubai - The Indian chef and his cousin, a former RAK resident were among three killed in an accident back home.

Friends of Jiju Thomas, an Indian chef and Dubai resident, who was among the three people killed in an accident in India, are organising a memorial meeting in his honour on February 20 (Thursday).
 
The meeting will be held at a friend's residence in the Gardens neighbourhood in Dubai after 7 pm, his close friend and classmate from college, Joseph James, told Khaleej Times.
 
"This memorial meet is for Jiju's close friends from his college Lourdes Matha Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Thiruvananthapuram. About six to seven of his former classmates are here in Dubai, and we meet up often," said, James. Several extended groups of friends are also expected to attend the meeting," he added.
 
Jiju, a 32-year-old expat from Kollam in Kerala, and his 37-year-old cousin Sinju K Ninan, was killed in an accident in Tamil Nadu state two days ago, hours after escaping unhurt from another.
Relatives said Jiju left Dubai on a 10-day vacation to celebrate his daughter's first birthday on February 9. Sinju is a former resident of Ras Al Khaimah.
 
According to his relatives, Sinju's funeral was organised at the Mannur gram panchayat in Kollam district, Kerala on Wednesday in the presence of friends and family. Meanwhile, Jiju's funeral will be held on Thursday, the day he was supposed to return to Dubai, his relative Shinu Joy told Khaleej Times.
Jiju was a very friendly person
Jiju was a resident of Al Khail Heights in Al Qouz, James said.
"As a group, we would meet up often. We've all been friends since 2007, he added, "Jiju was very passionate about his work. He was very friendly and when we got together, he took great interest in cooking."
 
The deceased has been a resident of UAE since 2012. Sinju, on the other hand, was working in a private firm in Ras Al Khaimah until last year. "He worked in the UAE for five years. He had to return home last year as his father fell ill and there was nobody to look after him," said Joykkutty, another relative.
 
His close friend and former classmate Titu said the family and close friends are inconsolable. He said, "I've known him for the past eight years, and we completed all our on-job training together. We moved to Dubai together as well. We are all in a state of great shock."
 
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

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