SAMBALPUR: Senior scribe and Sambalpur Bureau Head of The New Indian Express Ratan Kumar Pani passed away in the wee hours on Tuesday. He was 52. Family sources said, Ratan suffered a heart attack at about 2.10 am. He, however, breathed his last before being shifted to the hospital.
The Pani family had attended a thread ceremony on Monday night. After returning from the function, Ratan took a bath before calling it a day. That is when he suffered the cardiac arrest. A resident of Baraipali of Sambalpur, Ratan joined TNIE in 1995 and has been with the Group ever since. He was
initially stationed at Rourkela before moving to Sambalpur.
During his career, he extensively covered western Odisha and varied subjects as part of his assignments.
Ratan also received Fellowships from BBC World Service Trust, Centre for Science and Environment and Centre for Education and Communication.
He was also very progressive minded and had pledged his body to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla for medical research. An endearing personality, Ratan was very popular in the journalistic circle. His untimely demise left a pall of gloom in Sambalpur and Rourkela.
He is survived by his wife Meena Das and only son Mayank Bhusan Pani.