Indian Embassy Didn’t Reach Out To Stranded Students In Kharkiv, Complains Victim’s Dad

Bengaluru: No one from the Indian Embassy reached out to stranded Indian students in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, lamented the father of a Karnataka youngster who was killed in shelling by Russian military on Tuesday, The Indian Express reported.

Naveen Shekarappa, the 21-year-old student of medicine, had stepped out of his bunker on Tuesday morning to buy essentials when he was caught in a missile attack.

Family members, neighbours and acquaintances thronged Naveen’s residence in Karnataka’s Chalageri on coming to know of the terrible tragedy.

Naveen’s father Gyanagoudar complained that Indian embassy officials didn’t reach out to students stuck in Kharkiv, which has been the target of heavy shelling for the past 2-3 days. His son had been in constant touch with the family and called them two to three times a day.

He made a video call shortly before the missile attack also. Naveen had said there was no food and water in the bunker where he and other students from Karnataka had taken refuge in Kharkiv, his uncle Ujjanagouda informed.

Naveen had gone out to exchange currency and buy groceries when a deafening explosion took place and he was killed instantaneously.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai called up Gyanagoudar to expressed their heartfelt condolences.

Bommai assured Gyanagoudar that every effort would be made to bring back his son’s body to India as soon as possible.