Acclaimed classical singer Rashid Khan passes away at 55

Kolkata, Jan 9: Acclaimed classical singer Rashid Khan passed away at a Kolkata hospital on Tuesday morning. He was 55.

On Tuesday morning, his medical condition started deteriorating fast and he had to be put under ventilation support at the private hospital he was admitted to last month.

Sources close to him said the singer died at 3.45 p.m.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the hospital on getting the news. However, then officially, the event of his passing away was not announced.

Later, the Chief Minister came out of the hospital along with the doctor attending to the acclaimed classical singer.

"We tried our best by giving him ventilation support. However, we could not finally bring him back to the path of recovery and he died at 3.45 p.m," the doctor said.

Banerjee said that the late classical singer was like her younger brother.

"I received a phone call after I came back to the state Secretariat from my district tour. I came here and heard this news. I feel so sad that I will not be able to listen to his songs further," she said.

It is learnt that his body will be preserved at a mortuary on Tuesday night. On Wednesday his mortal remains will be placed at Rabindra Sadan in central Kolkata for his fans to pay floral tributes. Thereafter first his mortal remains will be taken to his residence at south Kolkata and from there it will be taken to a burial ground at Tollygunge in South Kolkata.

Born in 1968 at Uttar Pradesh's Badaun, Rashid Khan hailed from the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, which has its origin in Mehboob Khan and his son Inyat Hussain Khan. He migrated to Kolkata when he was just 11 years old and started his career in classical music after receiving the scholarship from Sangeet Research Academy.

A recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan, Khan was mainly acclaimed as a classical singer. However, his fusion and film number also received accolades.