Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 1 (ANI): An Indian student, came under shelling and was killed in Kharkiv on Monday morning as he went out on some shopping errands.
Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Commissioner Dr. Manoj Rajan on Tuesday said that the Indian student, who lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area, has been identified as Naveen Shekharappa from Chalageri village of Haveri district in Karnataka. “We have confirmed from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) the unfortunate demise of Naveen Shekharappa in Ukraine. He was from Chalageri, Haveri. He had left for a nearby store to buy something. Later his friend got a call from a local official that he (Naveen) has died,” said Karnataka SDMA.
Earlier today, MEA in a statement said that one Indian student has lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area. Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared the information and expressed condolences to the family.
“With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family,” he wrote in the tweet.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday spoke to the family of the Indian who died in a shelling incident in war-torn Ukraine. Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, the deceased student, was a resident of the state’s Haveri district.
“It is a big blow. May the Almighty bestow eternal peace on Naveen. You must be brave to bear the tragic happening,” Bommai told the family while expressing grief. The 21-year-old Indian, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kharkiv earlier today.
“With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family,” tweeted the External Affairs Ministry, confirming Gyanagoudar’s death. Efforts are now on to bring his mortal remains to India.
Karnataka Minister for Higher Education Dr CN Ashwathnarayan on Tuesday condoled the demise of an Indian student, who lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area while urging families of citizens stranded in Ukraine to stay calm. Naveen Shekharappa hailed from Haveri in Karnataka and was a fourth-year MBBS student in Ukraine.
“Deeply saddened to learn about the sad demise of Naveen Shekharappa, 4th Year MBBS student from Haveri, Karnataka in the crisis zone at Kharkiv, Ukraine. May God give his family, friends and well-wishers strength to bear this irreparable loss. Om Shanti,” the state minister tweeted.
Amid rising tensions in Ukraine following Russian military operations, the minister has urged families of the Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine to not panic and stay calm as the government is ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indian nationals. “I request all the families of those Indians who are stuck in the crisis zone to remain calm. Authorities from the Government of India are in constant touch with students, Indians and Ambassadors for the safe passage of Indians from the crisis zone,” Ashwathnarayan said.
“PM Narendra Modi had spoken to the family. We will try our best to recover the body and bring it back to India. I have requested PMO and MEA to help us to recover mortals,” said Bommai. Choking with grief, the deceased’s father Shekharappa Gyanagoudar said that he had spoken to his son in the morning as he used to call up twice or thrice every day.
Till now 49 students of Karnataka have returned from Ukraine, as per the state’s official release.
The Union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine.
Over the last few days, Indian nationals are being evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania– countries that share borders with Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the massive rescue mission.
Despite scoring 97 pc, son couldn’t get medical seat in India: Father of K’taka student who died in Ukraine
The father of Naveen Shekharappa, on Tuesday expressed his anguish over the medical education system in India. Naveen Shekharappa hailed from Chalageri village of Haveri district in Karnataka. “Despite scoring 97 per cent in pre-University course (PUC), my son could not secure a medical seat in the State. To get a medical seat one has to give crores of rupees and students are getting the same education abroad spending less money,” Shekharappa’s father told media persons.
Naveen Shekharappa, a 21-year-old student studying at Kharkiv National Medical University, Ukraine died in shelling in Kharkiv on Tuesday. Shekharappa was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine‘s Kharkiv.
