Udupi: Over 2,000 people thronged to attend the cremation of IPS officer Madhukar Shetty at his residence in Yadadi village in Kundapur Taluk of Udupi district on Sunday.
The body was brought to Yadadi on Saturday night. Apart from colleagues, villagers and relatives, there were people from distant Chikkamagalur who had come to see their 'SP' and their benefactor. Shetty had served as SP in Chikkamagalur district and was popular for helping common people. "Madhukar Shetty was the SP and Harsha Gupta was the DC of Chikkamagalur, who saved us from eviction. They helped us in providing title deed and a land to live. We remember them daily. It is really sad that Shetty is no more with us. We have come here to pay our last tribute to him. We will always remember him," a villager from Gupta Shetty Halli of Chikkamagalur told reporters. He along with 25 people had come from Chikkamagalur to pay tribute to Shetty.
Everybody who came was in tears. But what moved all those gathered was the uncontrollable tears of Shetty's daughter Samya. "I want my father..... I want my father...." she kept on repeating with tear filled eyes. Shetty's wife too was inconsolable.
Senior police officials, district administration, elected representatives attended the cremation that was held near Shetty's parents' memorial. Shetty's daughter, two brothers and nephew performed the cremation rights. Shetty was cremated with state honours around 12.15 pm.
Urban Development Minister U.T. Khader was present till the cremation got over. Khader and Madhukar Shetty were benchmates at St Aloysius School in Mangaluru. Though Shetty hailed from Udupi, he studied in Mangaluru as his father Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty, a famous journalist, was based in Mangaluru.
Khader recollected his days with Shetty in the school and also in the recent days after he joined service. The Minister also revealed that he wanted Shetty to serve in Mangaluru, but lamented that he could not.
