Entire village, friends from N'gud pay last respects to Naveen

The family of Naveen, a fourth-year medical student who was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine recently, donated his body to Davangere-based S S Institute of Medical Sciences on Monday.

Naveen’s mother Vijayalakshmi was inconsolable after seeing his embalmed body, upon its arrival at their residence, around 8.45 am, 20 days after his death.

His father Shekharappa consoled her and other members of the family. He performed rituals to the mortal remains of Naveen with his spouse and other son. Later, the body was kept outside the residence for public viewing.

A host of villagers, relatives and his friends from Nanjangud, Mysuru district, where he did schooling and PUC, paid their last respects. The entire village had plunged into grief as it had lost one of its sons.

Seers of various mutts, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Haveri MP Shivakumar Udasi, Davangere MP G M Siddeshwar, CM’s political secretary M P Renukacharya, district in-charge Minister Shivaram Hebbar and Ranebennur MLA Arunkumar Guththur paid their last respects.

Naveen’s body was taken out in a procession in an open vehicle from the house at around 1.45 pm. Thousands of people participated in the procession. The body was later handed over to doctors of SS Institute of Medical Sciences, Davangere.

Shekharappa said he decided to donate his son’s body to the hospital as he was highly ambitious of becoming a doctor.

Veeresh, professor at the anatomy department of the institute, and principal B S Prasad visited Chalageri village to receive the body of Naveen. The institute gave the family a certificate that the body had been received from them.

Earlier, Vijayalakshmi had signed the body donation certificate. She said she believes that the human body is mortal, but the soul is immortal.

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