Karnataka CM Bommai speaks to family of Indian killed in Ukraine, assures help to bring mortal remains

Basavaraj Bommai. File Pic

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. "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. The seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest. After special flights reach Mumbai and New Delhi, the evacuees are facilitated to reach their respective states, where local administration helps them to reach their homes.

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