K’taka techie’s body flown in evacuation aircraft from London

Bengaluru, May 12 (IANS) The body of a Karnataka techie, who committed suicide in London in March, was also flown to Bengaluru in the first evacuation aircraft to the state earlier in the day along with 326 passengers, an official said on Monday.

“As a special case, the body of techie Shivaraj Patil, was flown in Air India’s Boeing-777, along with his widow and 3-year-old son, as it was held up in London due to suspension of overseas flights by India since March 23 and extended lockdown since March 25,” the official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

As Patil’s body could not be taken to his home town (Hubballi) in the state’s northwest region due to lockdown restrictions and the 14-day mandatory quarantine of his widow and son on arrival, his last rites were performed in this tech city by his family members.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Bhimashankar S. Guled has confirmed the arrival and cremation of Patil’s body.

“It (Patil’s body) came and was cremated in Bengaluru,” Guled told IANS.

Hubbali is about 405 km northwest of Bengaluru.

After completing his engineering course, he worked with Wipro and other IT companies to later shift base to London in 2011.

Though Patil, 37, died on March 13, his body could not be flown to India due to lockdown in Britain and India owing to the coronavirus pandemic over the last two months.

His family members approached Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Prahlad Joshi for help, who obliged and facilitated.

On central government’s directive, the state government has made the arrangements

Patil’s parents reached Bengaluru from Hubballi earlier in the day for the last rites.

–IANS

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