Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi
Udupi, Jul 17: “I promise that the years to come will be nothing but awesome. I promise that your future will be nothing but joyful and happy. I promise that you and I will be together till we die.” These were the words written by Ashwini Shetty about her husband Ramananda Shetty in an Instagram post in December 2017.
On Monday morning, due to a short circuit, a fire broke out at the house of businessman Ramananda Shetty in Ambalpady, Gandhinagar. His wife Ashwini Shetty (42), who was undergoing treatment in the ICU of a private hospital in Manipal, succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday. Ramananda Shetty had passed away on the day of the incident itself. They are survived by their son and daughter. The couple's funeral was held on Tuesday evening at their ancestral home in Adi Udupi Pandubettu, with numerous dignitaries and family members paying their last respects.
Upon witnessing how the children survived, questions arose about whether the entire family could have been saved if they had taken some precautions.
It would be not wrong to say that the children's timely awareness saved their lives. Many who attended the funeral speculated that if the couple had taken refuge in a bathroom or any ventilated space to avoid the smoke, their lives might have been saved. The children had taken shelter in the bathroom upon seeing the smoke and stayed there, fearing they might collapse if they went outside, thus saving their lives.
When the incident occurred, the bedroom where the couple was sleeping was filled with smoke, making it difficult to escape. Despite trying to get out, Ramananda Shetty collapsed near the door, unable to open it. His wife also fell and could not get up from the sofa. Though the fire brigade rescued them and rushed them to the hospital, they could not be saved. As a result, the two children are now left orphaned.
The house was a three-story building. A short circuit on the ground floor led to the fire. The couple was in one bedroom while their children were in another. The children sensed the smoke and could not decide where to go. Eventually, they moved to a nearby bathroom where ventilation prevented them from suffocating. They even tried to move the exhaust fan for better air circulation. Responding to a call, the fire brigade tried to break down the door but could not. Hearing the children's cries from the bathroom, the rescuers broke the glass and directed them to face the ventilation. Entering through the front door amidst thick smoke, the brigade eventually found the children and led them out safely, as narrated by the rescue team.
A case related to the incident has been registered at the Udupi city police station, and an investigation is underway.
Ashwini Shetty was a member of the Lions Club Udupi Chetana and the Bannanje Mahalingeshwara Temple's administrative committee. She also served as the president of the BJP Udupi city Mahila Morcha and was active in the Bunt Association. Known for presenting the culture and traditions of Tulunadu uniquely on social media, she was a member of the Tulu Koota as well.
Ashwini Shetty once said in a video on Instagram, “When we are born, our mothers should be happy. When we achieve success, our fathers should be proud. When we die, even our enemies should shed tears for us.” This video is now going viral.
Ashwini Shetty had 79,000 subscribers on her Instagram account. Various videos she made with social concern are now going viral. Her friends say she continued the helping hand initiative she started during the COVID period, aiding poor labourers and providing food items to the underprivileged and homeless during festivals. She also supported orphaned and poor children in various ways, sharing these activities on social media, garnering millions of likes. Ramananda Shetty and Ashwini had a love marriage.