Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia (SP)
Beltangady, Jul 24: Jayanthi, wife of Eknath Shetty, lives in her house opposite 'Namma Mane Havyaka Bhavana' at Guruvayanakere. Her husband lost his life after the defence aeroplane AN 32, is thought to have plunged into Bay of Bengal during its journey from Chennai to Port Blair. Jayanthi recalls that her husband used to call her every night and speak to her for about 30 minutes. On Thursday night, he had told her that he was not scheduled to fly the next day as date for operating upon his injured leg had been fixed for July 30 at Army Hospital.
She said that she received call from the army at 4 pm on Friday about the missing of the plane in which her husband was travelling. Later, a person, Dhanraj, called her from Car Nicobar to confirm to her the bad news.
Eknath Shetty, born in 1965, had joined Indian Army in 1985 after completing second PU. He was a member of Indian Peace Keeping Fore sent to Sri Lanka to fight against the Tamil terrorists. After serving 7 Madras Regiment, he had voluntarily retired on February 28 2009. After spending six months at home, he had joined Indian Army's Defence Service Corps (DSC) as junior commissioned officer. DSC is a unit which is comprised of former soldiers which looks after security of army base, assets etc. Shetty, currently posted in Andaman, was expecting transfer to Bengaluru in August 2017, and was planning to retire in 2019.
He had recently come home on ten days holiday to recuperate as he had suffered leg injury during exercising. He went back three days back.
11 years ago Eknath came to Guruvayanakere from Kuttarpadavu and built a house there after buying a small plot. His wife, Jayanthi, is a teacher in SDM Highschool Ujire, while daughter, Ashita, is in the final year of degree course and son Akshay is studying in tenth standard.
Former minister B Ramanath Rai, MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLC, Capt Ganesh Karnik, former MLA, K Prabhakar Bangera, zilla panchayat member, Mamata Shetty, and several others visited the family. As Jayanti is not feeling well, MLA, K Vasant Bangera, asked the government doctor to attend to her. She stands admitted into the government hospital here.