Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Ramchandra Gandhi was reportedly found dead in a room at India International Centre in New Delhi on Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: Ramchandra Gandhi, a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was on Wednesday found dead in a room at the India International Centre (ICC) here.
The body of 70-year-old Gandhi, an acclaimed academician and playwright, was found in Room number 15 of the elite club in South Delhi where he had checked in on June ten.
Senior police officials said his death appeared to be natural, but added that an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause.
Police was informed about his death by IIC officials, who broke open the door of his room this morning after they did not get any response from him, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police I B Rani said.
Obituary
"The housekeeping staff knocked at the door of the room in the morning and after not getting any response informed the manager about it. The door was then broken open and Gandhi's body was found lying on the floor," the police officer said.
"The room was locked from inside and there is no possibility of any foul play. Prima facie it appears to be a case of natural death," another police officer said.
The family of the deceased, who was a resident of Bengali Market in the capital, told police that Gandhi, an ex-member of the club, had checked into the IIC because of the heat.
A former professor at Princeton University, he was the elder brother of West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and noted writer Rajmohan Gandhi.
Gandhi has written six plays dealing with spiritual gurus like Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Francis of Assisi and Ramana Maharshi.
He held doctorate degrees in philosophy from Oxford and Delhi universities and had taught in various colleges in Britain, the United States, Hyderabad, Shanti Niketan and Punjab.
"He was a great philosopher and intellectual and also unexpectedly witty. We had celebrated his birthday on June nine. We will surely miss him," his brother Rajmohan Gandhi said.
The books written and edited by Ramchandra Gandhi, who was an expert in comparative religious studies, included 'The Availability of Religious Ideas' and 'Sita's Kitchen: A Testimony of Faith and Inquiry'.
He has also written and produced several plays and a film on Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi used to live alone in a portion of a building in Bengali Market and seldom socialised with his neighbours, most of whom did not know that Mahatma Gandhi's grandson was living in the same locality.
"He had no visitors. He used to go out in the afternoon and return in the evening. He lived a very low-profile life," a neighbour informed.
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