Sahara Group founder Subrata Roy’s last rites performed by grandsons

Some business engagements kept Subrata Roy's sons away from the funeral, people familiar with the matter claimed

The last rites of Sahara group founder Subrata Roy were performed by his grandsons at the Baikunth Dham cremation ground in the presence of friends and well-wishers here on Thursday even as his two sons were conspicuous by their absence. Subrata Roy passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday night after a prolonged illness.

Funeral procession of Sahara india Parivar Chief Subrata Rao being taken out from Sahara Shahar to Baikunth Dham in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh India on Thursday, (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

Some business engagements kept his sons away from the funeral, people familiar with the matter claimed.

Himanc Roy, 16, son of Subrata Roy’s younger son Seemanto Roy and Kushaan Roy, 5, son of the Sahara chief’s elder son Sushanto Roy, jointly performed the last rites.

Those present at Baikunth Dham included Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, senior Congress leader Pramod Tewari, former U.P. Congress president and actor Raj Babbar, senior BJP leader Ammar Rizvi and film producer Boney Kapoor.

Scores of Sahara employees and the public accompanied Roy’s body as it reached the cremation ground from Sahara Shahar around 4pm.

Subrata Roy’s body was brought to Lucknow by a chartered plane on Wednesday evening. His wife Swapna Roy reached the state capital on Wednesday along with grandsons Himanc and Kushaan and other family members.

SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel, former ministers Arvind Singh Gope and Abhishek Mishra, SP MLC Rajesh Yadav, former MLA Anugrah Narayan Singh alias Khokha Singh, former MLC Siraj Mehdi, Rashtriya Lok Dal national spokesperson Anil Dubey, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, former MP Naresh Agrawal, excise minister Nitin Agrawal, Nira Radia and Sonu Nigam also paid tribute to Roy.

Former Indian hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay, Juhi Babbar, Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharkwal, City Montessori School founder Jagdish Gandhi, actor Gul Panag and pianist Brian Silas also offered homage to the late Sahara chief.