Nhaveen’s family thanks AR Rahman for his prayers

Mozart of Madras' tweet has turned assault victim Nhaveen into an indelible icon for the grieving family following the teen's passing.

GEORGE TOWN: In their moments of grief, a single tweet made a world of difference to the family members of the late T Nhaveen, who was brutally assaulted and sodomised last Friday.

It was a “get well soon” wish that famous Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman sent to Nhaveen and which 14.5 million of his followers would have also read.

“Dear Nhaveen, prayers & love for a speedy recovery. Let all acts of savagery end & people come to senses. Peace!” Rahman said in a tweet that carried a link to an FMT article on Nhaveen’s wish to be a music composer like him.

The tweet was “liked” by 3,842 people and re-tweeted 1,961 times at the time of writing.

Rahman is currently in the UK preparing for a concert next month.

Sadly however, Nhaveen passed away from his injuries just three minutes after Rahman’s tweet was sent.

Nevertheless, Nhaveen’s grandmother, J Chandra Iswari, was very touched by Rahman’s kind wishes and thanked the famous musician for acknowledging one of his admirers and prayers for his recovery.

“For once in this week-long ordeal, we smiled a little. Thank you, Mr Rahman, it means a lot because my grandson always wanted to be a musician like you but sadly he is no longer here.

“But thank you for so much from the bottom of my heart. You really touched everyone’s heart and Nhaveen boy’s, I salute you,” the 55-year-old educator said when met by FMT at the Penang Hospital last night.

Meanwhile, Nhaveen’s uncle said Rahman’s tweet was a reminder to all that there was a dire need to put an end to all forms of bullying and gangsterism.

A Suryakumar, 44, said that by tweeting his well wishes to Nhaveen, Rahman had inadvertently made the teen an icon.

“His passing must leave a mark on society. Tomorrow (Friday), we must remember him for the changes he brought to us. His sacrifice should not be in vain.

“And for Rahman to pray for Nhaveen’s recovery from afar, our sincerest ‘thank you’.

“But he is in a better place as God wants him more than us.”

Nhaveen was supposed to leave for Kuala Lumpur on Monday to enrol in a college for a music-composing course.

However, he was brutally assaulted with helmets and sodomised by five teenagers on Friday night.

He suffered internal bleeding and injuries to his abdomen and private parts. He also had cigarette burn marks on his back, and his anus had been penetrated with a blunt object.

He was placed at the brain-related intensive care unit of Penang Hospital and was later declared brain-dead. He however died at 5.30pm yesterday.

Last night, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar announced in Kuala Lumpur that police had reclassified the case as murder.

Nhaveen’s wake will be held today at Hall D, United Hokkien Cemeteries funeral parlour, Jalan Batu Gantong, off Scotland Road, from 2pm onwards. -FMT