The mortal remains of Dainik Bhaskar Group Chairman Ramesh Chandra Agrawal, who died yesterday following a heart attack, were consigned to flames at the Bhadbhada cremation ground here today.
His eldest son Sudhir Agrawal lit the funeral pyre amid the presence of a large number of people who came to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
Agrawal, 73, suffered a heart attack upon his arrival at Gujarat's Ahmedabad airport yesterday. Though he was rushed to Apollo Hospital near the airport, he could not be saved. later, his mortal remains were flown to Bhopal for the last rites.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former CMs Digvijaya Singh and Babulal Gaur, Rajasthan's ex-Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri, a number of ministers from the state including Narottam Mishra and Gauri Shankar Shejwar, senior NCP leader Praful Patel, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya, among others, were present during the funeral.
Some markets in the state capital were closed till noon as a mark of respect to the departed soul, New Market Vyapari Mahasangh president Satish Gangrade said.
Born on November 30, 1944 at Jhansi, Agrawal came to Bhopal with his father late Dwarkaprasad Agrawal and laid the foundation of the Dainik Bhaskar newspaper in 1958.