Kundapura: Krishnaiah Mogaveera, who died in a firing by French troops near the airport in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, was cremated on Monday evening.
His body arrived at his home town Balkur in Kundapur in the afternoon. Krishnaiah’s elder brother Shekar Mogaveera broke down when he reached his residence with the body. Unaware of the fact that his father was killed in a far away country for no fault of his, Krishnaiah’s three-and-half-year-old son Adithya was seen crying for a toy. While Narayana Mogaveera, father of Krishnaiah who suffers from dementia wept once and turned silent, Krishnaiah’s mother Baalu and his wife Sumana became inconsolable when the body arrived.
Mogaveera’s body arrives in hometown; French govt promises to hold inquiry, pay compensation to family
The body of Krishnaiah Mogaveera, who was killed amidst the turmoil in the Central African Republic, arrived at his own hometown of Balkur at around 3.15 pm on Tuesday.
French soldiers deployed near Bangui airport shot and killed Mogaveera last Monday, in the mistaken belief that he was a rebel soldier. At Balkur, Mogaveera’s body was consigned to flames after a religious ceremony in the backyard of his home. A large number of people arrived at his home to pay their last respects.
The Consul General of France in Bangalore, Eric Lavertu, and an Indian spokesperson from the Consulate General of France in Bangalore, Hemagini Rakshith, visited members of the family to offer their condolences and an apology. “Action will be taken immediately against those who are proved guilty,” Lavertu said, but added that the soldiers had not been deliberately shooting at Mogaveera’s vehicle. “It was an error, committed unintentionally,” he said.
The consul members revealed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had twice written to the French government about an inquiry.
According to Lavertu, an inquiry will be held. A report is expected within a month. “The French government is committed to an inquiry,” he said. “Based on the findings, compensation will be offered to Mogaveera’s family.”
Mogaveera’s body was brought in an ambulance from Mangalore airport.
His elder brother, Shekhar, had accompanied the body after taking charge of it in Mumbai.
Mogaveera, 37, had been living in Bangui for eight years. He had been on his way to the airport to return to India when he was killed.
