Former first lady Janaki Venkataraman dies

Janaki Venkataraman, who is the wife of former President R Venkataraman, passed away on Friday at a hospital in the national capital following brief illness.

Janaki Venkataraman, who is the wife of former President R Venkataraman, passed away on Friday at a hospital in the national capital following brief illness.

HT Image

She was 89.

Janaki breathed her last at about 1630 hours at Sir Ganga Ram hospital in New Delhi. She was admitted to the hospital on August 10 following a complaint of chest infection, family sources said.

Janaki is survived by three daughters - Padma Venkataraman, Vijaya Ramachandran and Lakshmi Venkataraman.

Her last rites will take place on Saturday.

President Pratibha Patil, who is on a three-day tour of Kerala, condoled her death.

In a letter to her daughter Padma, Patil said, "as a first lady of the country she has performed her role with utmost grace and dignity during the tenure of R Venkataraman."

R Venkataraman, the eight President of India, held the office of the first citizen of the country from July 25, 1987 to July 25, 1992. He died due to old-age related illness in January last year at the age of 98.