Eminent freedom fighter Sunil Kumar Ray, a disciple of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. He was 85 and is survived by three sons and two daughters.
His mortal remains were consigned to flames at the Khan Nagar crematorium here in the evening with full State honours. Before being cremated, the body of Ray was taken to the Netaji Museum at Odia Bazar and the Swaraj Ashram here.
When Ray’s body arrived here from Bhubaneswar, hundreds of his associates and Netaji lovers thronged his Meria Bazar residence to pay their last respects to the departed soul.Born in February 1928 in Cuttack, Ray was inspired by the leadership of Netaji and joined the latter’s Indian National Army (INA).
Ray was instrumental in converting Netaji’s ancestral home here into a national museum. Spending money from his own pocket, Ray had written several books on Netaji and distributed them free to school and college students.