Odisha CM’s Brother-In-Law Sonny Mehta Passes Away

Bhubaneswar: Sonny Mehta, husband of well-known writer Gita Mehta and brother-in-law of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, passed away at the age of 76.

Mehta was the Editor-in-chief of publishing house Alfred A. Knopf and Chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group in New York. In his long tenure at Alfred A. Knopf, he played an instrumental role in publication of many literary masterpieces.

Sharing the news on the microblogging site Twitter, CM Naveen wrote, "I am deeply grieved by passing away of my brother-in-law. He was one of the world's best editors and an extremely civilized person. May his soul rest in peace."

Born in 1942, Sonny is the son of Amrik Singh Mehta, who was among the first diplomats of independent India. As a child, Mehta lived in many countries including Prague, New York, Nepal and Geneva.

He studied at Sanawar School, India, and Sevenoaks School, UK, where he won an open scholarship to Cambridge University, acquiring two degrees in History and English Literature, while also editing the magazine Granta.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the death of Sonny Mehta.

Sonny Mehta would be fondly remembered by countless avid readers across the world. He endeared himself to many thanks to his erudite and knowledgable personality. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to Gita Ji, you, your family and his admirers. Om Shanti. https://t.co/5r8FxAHL30

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 31, 2019