Manipur governor dies in Mumbai

Mumbai: Manipur Governor Syed Ahmed died here on Sunday morning following a brief illness, a family member said. He was 70.

Ahmed breathed his last at the Lilavati Hospital where he was admitted recently. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

A former Congress leader and Maharashtra minister, Ahmed was sworn-in governor of the north-eastern state of Manipur on May 16 this year. Prior to that he was governor of Jharkhand since September 2011.

As a Congressman, he was elected to Maharashtra legislative assembly five times from his native Nagpada constituency in south Mumbai and later served as a minister in two governments, handling various portfolios.

His funeral shall be held in Mumbai on Monday morning at 11 a.m. at the Rehmadabad Cemetery in Byculla, said his son Syed Zeeshan Ahmed, a prominent state Congress leader.

Expressing grief over Syed Ahmed's demise, Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao, described Ahmed as "a gentle, soft spoken and studious person".

"Dr. Ahmed had sincere urge to address the problems of the common man. He was a writer and poet too. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," Rao said in a message.

Senior leaders of the Maharashtra and Mumbai Congress also condoled Syed Ahmed's death.