Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that getting the mortal remains of a student back from war-affected Ukraine and evacuation of the other students were the priority of the government.
The chief minister, who met the bereaved family of the medical student Naveen Ranebennur, handed over a cheque for Rs 25 lakh as compensation and assured his brother of a job. The brother was pursuing Phd.
"Our first duty is to bring back his (Naveen) body back home, we are putting efforts for it.
"I'm in constant touch with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, officers and the Ukraine Ambassador," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Naveen's parents, he quoted the External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and said the body has been secured and embalmed, kept at a mortuary and that it cannot be brought back now as there has been constant bombing.
"He (Jaishankar) said, once the bombing in the region reduces, transportation arrangements will be made. As there is a ceasefire in some parts there might be an opportunity.
"I will speak to him as soon as I reach Bengaluru, and make all the efforts to insist on getting the body back at the earliest.. It will also depend on the situation there," he added.
Naveen, the 21-year-old medical student, was killed in Russian shelling of Kharkiv city last week.
Hoping for a quick end to the war, the chief minister said many students have walked to a safe place about 30 km from Kharkiv and transport arrangements been made.
However, there were a few stranded in bunkers in the besieged city and efforts to evacuate them were on.
According to nodal officer and commissioner of Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Manoj Rajan, 366 people have returned home so far from the war-torn Ukraine.
