The mortal remains of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, the Karnataka student who was killed during shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv city on March 1, reached the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) in Bengaluru in the wee hours of Monday.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reached the Bengaluru International airport and paid homage to Naveen.
Chief Minister Bommai spoke to reporters later and stated that a country’s strength and might is known at the time of crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi “showed the might of the nation at this hour of crisis by bringing back the mortal remains of Naveen”.
“The body has arrived today and we have made all arrangements,” he added.
“During evacuation time, our officers who stationed at New Delhi, Ghaziabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru airport took care of students who returned from Ukraine. It was ensured that the students returned from Ukraine would reach their home safely,” Bommai added.
A dedicated helpline was initiated within 12 hours of the crisis, he said. State officials were in constant touch with External Affairs Ministry as well as the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.
“I am in pain that we could not bring back Naveen alive,” the Chief Minister said.
“Our government stands with Naveen’s family. We have issued the compensation, and we will see what can be done for his younger brother,” he stated.
Health Minister K. Sudhakar, MP from Haveri Shivakumar Udasi, MLA Arunkumar, and Congress MLC Saleem Ahmad were also present at the airport.
Earlier, Bommai conveyed his gratitude for the Prime Minister’s efforts to help retrieve Naveen’s mortal remains from Kharkiv.
Naveen of Karnataka’s Haveri district had lost his life on March 1 in Kharkiv. His family has been “beseeching” the authorities to retrieve his body, but heavy fighting in the area had prevented the retrieval till now.
The family has said that Naveen’s body would be donated to a medical college after last rites.
