Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar dies of heart attack; Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble express condolences

Puneeth Rajkumar. File Pic

In a shocking development, Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar passed away at the age of 46 following a massive heart attack. According to family sources, Puneeth suffered a heart attack while working out at a gym. Immediately he was shifted to Vikram Hospital. Dr Ranganath Nayak stated that his condition was critical when he was brought to the hospital. But the efforts of doctors to revive him went in vain.

The actor's passing away evoked strong responses from fans and sportspersons alike. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag took to microblogging site Twitter and expressed his condolences. He wrote, "Saddened to hear about the passing away of #PuneethRajkumar . Warm , and humble, his passing away is a great blow to Indian cinema. May his soul attain sadgati. Om Shanti (sic)."

Ex-Indian captain and India's highest Test wicket-taker Anil Kumble too paid his tribute on the death of Rajkumar.

Kumble's Karnataka teammate and former India speedster Venkatesh Prasad also offered his condolences. He took to social media site Twitter and wrote, "Extremely sad to know of the passing away of our dear #PuneethRajkumar . My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. I request his fans to maintain calm and pray for his Sadgati in this excruciating time for the family. Om Shanti 🙏🏼(sic)."

"Deeply saddened to hear about #PuneethRajkumar Ji's demise. My heartfelt condolences to his family, may his soul rest in peace. Om Shanti," wrote former Indian batter Suresh Raina.

Indian footballer Chhetri paid his condolences.

Harbhajan Singh also posted a heartfelt message on social media.

The actor is survived by his wife Ashwini and daughters Vanditha and Dhruthi.

With inputs from Agencies

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