Centre unresponsive on bringing back student Naveen's body from Ukraine: Siddaramaiah

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met the family members of Naveen Shekharappa, an MBBS student who died in shelling in war-torn Ukraine. He also consoled his parents and expressed solidarity with them in their loss. He was accompanied by former Assembly Speaker KB Koliwada. Siddaramaiah also offered floral tribute to Naveen’s portrait.

While addressing the mediapersons, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the Union Government is not responding to the question of bringing back the mortal remains of Naveen Shekharappa by a private plane.

However, the state Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai on March 08 said that Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar has informed the Karnataka government that the body of Naveen will be brought to India once shelling stops there. Bommai also said that Naveen's body has been embalmed and kept in a mortuary in Ukraine.

Earlier, on March 06, the Chief Minister handed over a cheque of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Naveen and promised a job for a family member.

Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, the deceased student, was a resident of Haveri district in Karnataka. 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 Kharkiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 launched a special "military operation" to protect Donbas, the separatist-held region in eastern Ukraine.