Mysuru: Mysuru’s senior journalist and the Editor of Andolana Kannada Daily Rajashekar Koti (71) died of a heart attack in the wee hours of today.

He passed away at around 2.30 am in Bengaluru where he had gone to attend a meeting.

Koti leaves behind wife Nirmala Koti, son Ravi Koti, daughters Rashmi Koti and Ramya Koti.

Family sources said that Rajashekar Koti had been to Bengaluru yesterday to attend a meeting and was staying at Abhiman Press Guest House. He complained of chest pain at around 1 am and his co-brother rushed him to Mallya Hospital.

Koti returned to the guest house after sometime and suffered an attack at 2.30 am.

The mortal remains were brought to Mysuru this morning at around 8.30 am to Koti’s house on Ramanuja Road. The body was later kept for public viewing at his house.

Last rites will be performed between 4 pm and 5 pm in the electric crematorium at the foot of Chamundi Hill with full State honours. There will be no other rituals and ceremonies since Rajashekar Koti did not believe in such practices, said his son Ravi Koti.

CM CONDOLES DEATH

Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has expressed his deep condolences over Rajashekar Koti’s sudden demise. In a message from the ongoing Assembly session in Belagavi, the CM said that Koti was the voice of the downtrodden and he came up in a hard way.

Rajashekar Koti started a newspaper in Mysuru, now a home to many small and regional newspapers, and performed the roles of a type-setter to Editor, the CM said.

Koti, who was known for his pro-Kannada campaigns, died just a day before the 83rd Akhila Bharatha Sahitya Sammelana, casting a pall of gloom on the mega event, the CM said.

Terming the loss as personal as Koti was his friend, Siddharamaiah said that journalism has lost a towering personality who competed with State-level newspapers with factual reporting and eye-opening social issues. He trained many journalists and was known for his social concerns. He collected money from public and helped people who are hit by natural disasters. He also constructed many bus-shelters and this showed his pro-people nature, the CM described.

A large number of Koti’s friends and well-wishers came to his house to pay their last respects. Among them were thinker P. Mallesh, Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamy, City BJP President Dr. B.H. Manjunath, former Minister S.A. Ramdas, photojournalist S.M. Jambukesh, Prof. Ramachandregowda, former Mayor B.L. Bhyrappa, BJP leader H.V. Rajeev, Star of Mysore Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy, SOM Managing Editor Vikram Muthanna, Vikranth Devegowda, Mandya Ramesh, former MUDA Chairman L. Nagendra, Karnataka Hoteliers Association President M. Rajendra, Prof. Neelagiri Gowda, Mysuru District Journalists Association (MDJA) President C.K. Mahendra, BJP leader K.P. Siddalingaswamy, Prof. K.S. Bhagawan, Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, former MP A.H. Vishwanath, MLA G.T. Devegowda, A.R. Krishnamurthy, Prof. G.H. Nayak, Meera Nayak, IMA State President Dr. H.N. Ravindra and former Women’s Commission Chairman Manjula Manasa.

Speaking about his association with Koti, P. Mallesh said that hailing from North Karnataka, Koti has done yeoman service to journalism and society. Koti was the voice of the deprived and the downtrodden and his death was a great loss, he said.