The second wave of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc, destroying families. Days after eminent sculptor and Rajya Sabha member Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mohapatra, 77, died of COVID-19, his two sons lost the battle against the coronavirus, too.
The former Rajya Sabha member had three sons and two daughters.
The prominent sculptor had passed away while undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar on May 9.
His second son Prasanta Mohapatra, who had captained the Odisha Ranji Trophy cricket team and was a match referee for the Board of Control for Cricket in India, succumbed to COVID-19 on Wednesday. He, too, was admitted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
His eldest son Jashobanta Mohapatra, who was carrying the family’s lineage in stone carving forward, died of COVID-19 at a private hospital here on Thursday. According to SUM COVID Hospital sources, Jashobanta Mohapatra was shifted from AIIMS, Bhubaneswar to SUM in a critical condition on Wednesday. He passed away despite all efforts made by the medical team, hospital sources said. He was 52 years old.
All three passed within a gap of 12 days.
Raghunath Mohapatra’s mortal remains were cremated with full state honours at his native village of Girala in Puri district. His second son’s death coincided with 11-day rituals of the late father.
People from all walks of life expressed shock and condolences at demise of three members of the family.
“I feel sad to hear the news of the demise of Jashobanta Mohapatra, the eldest son of the late Raghunath Mohapatra, a prominent sculptor and Rajya Sabha. The death of the second son after the late Mohapatra and then the eldest son and death of three members of the family in quick succession has made me depressed,” tweeted Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, condoling the deaths.
