Bihar: Retired IPS officer Acharya Kishore Kunal, founder secretary of Patna's Mahavir Mandir, dies

Patna: Retired IPS officer Acharya Kishore Kunal died of cardiac arrest in Patna on Sunday, his family said.

An IPS officer of the 1972 batch, he was the chief of the Bihar State Board of Religious Trust (BSBRT) and founder secretary of Patna's Mahavir Mandir Trust, which runs several hospitals in the state.

Kunal, 74, suffered cardiac arrest in the early hours and was immediately taken to a hospital where he passed away around 8 am, his family said.

His son Saayan Kunal and daughter-in-law Shambhavi Chaudhary, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP from Samastipur, were present at the hospital where he breathed last.

Later, his body was taken to his residence at Gusain Tola in Patna where people gathered in large numbers to pay their last respects to the former police officer. Several state ministers, including Shambhavi's father Ashok Choudhary, also visited his residence to pay their last respects.

According to Kunal's family, the cremation will take place at his native village in Hajipur in Vaishali district around 2 pm on Monday.

Governor Rajendra V Arlekar and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed their condolences.

"I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden demise of Acharya Kishor Kunal, former officer of the Indian Police Service, former President of the Bihar State Religious Trust Board and founder secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust Committee. He did remarkable work for the society by combining religion with human service," Arlekar said.

"His demise has caused an irreparable loss in the administrative, religious and social fields. May God grant him a place on his feet. Deep condolences to his bereaved family and well-wishers," he added.

The CM said Kunal was an efficient and sensitive administrator and officer.

"He was also associated with various social and religious organisations. He carried out various social and religious works while holding the post of Secretary of Mahavir Mandir Trust Committee. He successfully performed his works while holding the post of President of Bihar State Religious Trust Board," Kumar said.

"His demise is an irreparable loss in the administrative, social and religious field," he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said his life was dedicated to social service, and religious and cultural upliftment.

"He gave Mahavir Mandir a national identity and did unprecedented work for the upliftment of the weaker sections of the society. His contribution is difficult to express in words. His demise is an irreparable loss to society. I pray to God to give peace to the departed soul and strength to his family to bear this grief," Choudhary said.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav said the news of Kunal's untimely demise was sad.

"Acharya ji played an important role in the educational, religious and social fields. I pray to God to grant the departed soul a place in his feet and give the bereaved family the strength to bear the loss," he said.