BELAGAVI: The mortal remains of two residents of Belagavi who died in the stampede at Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, were brought to Belagavi late on Thursday evening. The mortal remains of two other residents of Belagavi who also died in the stampede are expected to arrive in an ambulance via Goa by 2 am on Friday.
The funeral of Koparde will be performed late on Thursday night at the Sadashiva Nagar crematorium in Belagavi while the funeral of Mahadevi Bhavnur is expected to take place in her native Hubballi. The funeral of Jyoti Hattarwath (44) and her daughter Megha Hattarwath (24), both residents of Vadgaon in Belagavi city, is expected to take place in Belagavi after their bodies are brought here at about 2 am on Friday. According to official sources, the bodies of the mother-daughter duo are being brought in a flight from New Delhi to Goa and then by road to Belagavi from Goa in an ambulance.
An IndiGo flight carrying the bodies of Mahadevi Bhavnur (48), resident of Shivaji Nagar and Arun Koparde (61), resident of Shetty Galli, arrived at Belagavi airport at 6.30 pm where several members of their families and officials of Belagavi district administration received the mortal remains.
The family members of both the deceased were inconsolable while receiving the bodies. Some of them wanted the authorities to allow them to have a last look at the dead but the district administration assured them of handing the mortal remains to the families soon after the post-mortem in Belagavi.
Additional District Magistrate, Vijaykumar Honkeri said the district administration handed over bodies to their respective families after the post-mortem at 8 pm. He said the funeral of both the deceased is expected to take place late in the night. Hariram Shankar, IPS officer brought the bodies of Koparde and Bhavnur in an ambulance to New Delhi from Prayagraj.
He was later joined by Special DC from Belagavi, Harsha Shetty and both of them flew with the mortal remains in an IndiGo flight to Belagavi from New Delhi airport on Thursday evening. According to official sources, embalming of the four bodies was done in Delhi before they are kept in the IndiGo flight, which has been arranged by the Karnataka government.
Several officials from Karnataka are coordinating with authorities in Uttar Pradesh for the safety and security of all the state's residents who are attending Kumbh Mela. At least 30 people from Belagavi who had been to Kumbh Mela had lost contact with their travel agent who had taken them to Prayagraj a few days ago. However, efforts are on to get them together in the camps at Prayagraj, sources added.
'Megha's dog was upset since the day she left for Kumbh'
A domestic dog owned by Megha Hattarwath, who died in the stampede in Kumbh Mela, has stopped eating ever since she left for Kumbh Mela a week ago along with her mother, Jyoti Hattarwath, who also died in the stampede.
According to Hattarwath family members, the dog was upset and stopped eating since the day Megha left for the pilgrimage. The sister of Megha, says their dog probably indicated a tragedy by declining to eat after the former had left for Prayagraj.
Megha was hellbent on going to Kumbh Mela and that was why her mother had to accompany her, said her family members, adding that they lost both of them.