Morarji school student dies suspiciously in Hukkeri, parents stage protest

CHIKKODI: A student from Morarji Desai residential school close to Hidkal dam at Hukkeri in Belagavi district died under suspicious circumstances, sparking protests by the family. They blocked the road in front of the Hukkeri Taluk Hospital, demanding a thorough investigation.

Fourteen-year-old Kartik Gadivaddar, from Konnuru village in Gokak taluk, drowned in the left bank canal while swimming with friends from the Morarji Residential School in Hidkal. Two other students survived, but Kartik’s body was recovered later. The police initially registered the case as a drowning incident at Yamakanamardi police station.

The family alleges foul play, claiming they weren’t allowed to see the body and no photos of the drowning were shown. They also allege an unknown person offered them money to settle the case at night, which they refused. The family chased the person, and now they’re claiming it’s not a natural death, but a murder.

The family is demanding justice, and the Hukkeri police tried to calm the situation. The body was handed over for cremation after intervention by Yamakanamardi police.