Former Indian Ambassador to U.S., and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Naresh Chandra (82) died at Manipal hospital at Dona Paula near Panaji on Sunday night due to multiple organ failure.
“He was admitted to the hospital on Friday evening with complaints of fever and vomiting,” said Dr. Shekhar Salkar, head of Clinical Services at Manipal Hospital, and added that Mr. Chandra had been a diabetic and had suffered a cardiac arrest. He said that the writer Dr. Maria Couto from Aldona (North Goa) had referred the ailing Mr. Chandra for treatment.
Dr. Couto told The Hindu that Mr. Chandra had been a family friend since 1974. He used to be a frequent visitor to Goa and stayed with his nieces, one at Nerul and another one at Parra, in north coastal Goa.
While he was holidaying in Goa he took ill, and it was Ms. Couto who called Dr. Salkar and North Goa Collector Nila Mohanan to help him.
“Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Girish Chandra Saxena who died on April 14 last after a brief illness and Naresh Chandra, were very old friends of ours. Both used to like to come and holiday in Goa,” said Ms. Couto.
Mr. Chandra, a bachelor, had served as the Cabinet Secretary from 1990-92 and was the Indian Ambassador to the US from 1996 to 2001.
Ms. Couto said that Mr. Chandra’s body will be flown to Delhi by 2 p.m. flight on Monday for the final rites.
Naresh Chandra was conferred Padma Vibhushan in 2007.
