Body of Indian student killed in Ukraine to be donated for Medical research, says Father

New Delhi, Mar 20: The body of a medical student from Karnataka, Naveen Ganagoudar Shekharappa, who was killed in shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv city will arrive at the Bengaluru airport on Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday.

As per Naveen Shekharappa's family's wishes, his body will be donated to a Karnataka Medical College for medical research. He was a final year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University.

Naveen's father, on Friday, said that he was saddened as the process of bringing back the body of his son was delayed. "Now, the sadness has gone away after learning that we will be able to see his body for the last time," he said.

After performing the final rites, the family has decided to donate the body to the S.S. Medical College of Davanagere, he added.

"Naveen's body will arrive in Bengaluru on Sunday at 3 AM," Bommai told reporters here. According to the Chief Minister's Office, Naveen is from Chalagere village of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri and he was studying medicine at the Kharkiv National Medical University for the past four years.

Naveen had stepped out from the Arkhitektora Beketova Metro station bunker to bring groceries following which he died in a shell attack on the streets of Kharkiv on March 1.

The news of his death was conveyed to his family by a friend of his who is studying first year medicine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered condolences to the family of the student killed in Ukraine's Kharkiv. PM Modi spoke to the family of Naveen following the news of the Indian student's demise in Kharkiv shelling.

The state government compensated the family with an ex-gratia amount of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Naveen Shekharappa and promised a job for a family member.