Ruskin Bond hospitalised in Dehradun; condition improving, discharge likely soon

Renowned author Ruskin Bond, 91, is recovering from a leg ailment in a Dehradun hospital and is expected to be discharged by Monday.

Updated on: Dec 14, 2025, 19:50:18 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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Mussoorie: Renowned author Ruskin Bond was admitted to a private hospital in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun on Saturday due to a leg ailment and is currently recovering, family members said on Sunday.

The 91-year-old writer was taken to Max Hospital after he complained of discomfort in his leg.

Doctors attending him said his condition has improved, though he has been kept under observation as a precautionary measure. He is likely to be discharged by Monday, they said.

“Ruskin Bond was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after he complained of a leg ailment. He is responding well to treatment and is recovering under the supervision of expert doctors,” Rakesh Bond, the adopted grandson of Ruskin Bond, said.

Hospital sources said that while Bond’s health has stabilised, doctors preferred to keep him under observation. “His condition has improved, but doctors have advised monitoring for a short period,” Rakesh Bond added.

News of the author’s hospitalisation prompted an outpouring of concern and goodwill from admirers across the country, particularly on social media, where readers, many of them children, wished him a speedy recovery.

“He is in good spirits. We are hopeful that he will be discharged by Monday. We have received several phone calls from well-wishers enquiring about his health and expressing relief at his recovery,” Sunil Arora, owner of the Cambridge Book Depot in Mussoorie, where Bond has been a familiar presence for decades, said after visiting the author at the hospital.

Ruskin Bond, celebrated for his simple and nostalgic stories set in the Himalayas, has a devoted global readership. For many years, he regularly visited the Cambridge Book Depot every Saturday to interact with fans and sign autographs, a practice he discontinued in recent years due to age-related issues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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