Janaki Venkataraman, wife of the former President, R. Venkataraman, passed away on Friday in a hospital here, following a brief illness. She was 89.
Janaki died at about 4.30 p.m. at Sir Ganga Ram hospital, where she was admitted following a complaint of chest infection, family sources said.
She is survived by three daughters — Padma Venkataraman, Vijaya Ramachandran and Lakshmi Venkataraman.
The funeral 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, Ms. Padma, Ms. Patil said: “As a first lady of the country she performed her role with utmost grace and dignity during the tenure of Venkataraman.”
The eighth President of India died due to age-related illness in January last year at 98.
Published - August 14, 2010 02:16 am IST
