Senior journalist Zaheeruddin Khan dies of heart attack at Gaddar’s funeral

Senior journalist and managing editor of popular Hyderabad-based daily – The Siasat – Zaheeruddin Ali Khan died of heart attack, while participating in the last rites of balladeer Gaddar in Hyderabad on Monday evening

Hyderabad

Hyderabad: People in large numbers take part in the funeral procession of late folk singer Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as Gaddar, in Hyderabad on Monday. (ANI)

Senior journalist and managing editor of popular Hyderabad-based daily – The Siasat – Zaheeruddin Ali Khan died of heart attack, while participating in the last rites of balladeer Gaddar in Hyderabad on Monday evening, his family members said.

63-year-old Khan was caught in stampede-like situation at Mahabodhi Vidyalaya, a school owned by Gaddar near Alwal in Secunderabad, where the funeral was being conducted with full state honours and suffered a stroke as he collapsed.

“He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead,” a family member told the reporters.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also took part in the last rites of Gaddar.

Khan, who was also the editor of Siasat.com, an English website associated with the daily, had been closely associated with Gaddar. Ever since the balladeer passed away on Sunday, he had been there with latter’s family.

A progressive Muslim scholar, Khan, who was popularly called Zaheer Bhai among the journalist fraternity, had participated in the funeral procession of Gaddar from Lal Bahadur Stadium to Mahabodhi Vidyalala at Alwal in the afternoon.

“When he was still there at the school to oversee the funeral arrangements, there was a sudden surge of crowds leading to a stampede-like situation. In the melee, Khan fell down and became unconscious. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead,” the family member said.