"If you have a flag, place it on the building": Father's final advice to Indian student who died in Ukraine

The family of the Indian student killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine previously advised him to place a flag outside the building in which he was standing.

The family stated in a video that Union minister Piyush Goyal had also suggested this idea, in which he indicated both Russia and Ukraine had assured the safety of Indian students.

An Indian citizen from Karnataka, 21-year-old Naveen Shekharappa, was killed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv because of Russian shelling yesterday. According to his friend, he had gone to a nearby grocery store to get some food.

As the conversation goes on, Naveen's father recounts meeting Piyush Goyal, who manages the Commerce and Industry portfolio at the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We have talked to minister Piyush Goyal. He said that there is a little problem. If we try to move from there, then rescue is possible. He has said that our government has talked to both the countries, both the countries has assured them that nothing will happen to the Indians there," this is what his grandfather says.

If you have a big flag, place it on the building... You show the flag outside the building you are in... The minister told the same thing. He told that you people should show the flag as much as possible," his father said.

There were only 2 percent of people who were able to escape from the bunker where Naveen and other Indian students took refuge.

In response to his father's question, he explained his decision not to go, "There is a rush and the situation is critical".

He said he received information that the trains were running now... there is a train at 6 am, 10 am, and 1 pm. "Take a decision after seeing the situation there. If you leave 40-50 km, then some way will be found. But without any help, don't take any risk on your own," he was advised by his father.

A student coordinator in Kharkiv, Pooja Praharaj, told NDTV shortly after Naveen's death, "He lived near the Governor's House and had been standing in the queue for food. Suddenly there was an air strike that blew up the Governor's House and he was killed".

However, videos continue to emerge where students say they are not being allowed to board trains, are being manhandled, and are physically thrown off trains as they try to leave Kyiv. The foreign ministry advised students to leave Kyiv and go to any of the border towns in western Ukraine.

Students say they were forced to wait for hours without food or water at the border, where many walked miles in sub-zero temperatures.