Odisha CM Flies To Delhi For Sister Gita Mehta’s Last Rites; PM Modi, Others Express Grief

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik left for New Delhi on Sunday following the demise of his sister Gita Mehta in the national capital.

The Chief Minister will pay his last respects and attend the last rites elder sister Gita Mehta, who passed away in Delhi yesterday at the age of 80.

The last rites of Gita Mehta is scheduled to be held tomorrow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of other dignitaries have expressed grief over the demise of Gita Mehta.

Writing on X, Modi said Gita Mehta was a multifaceted personality. “I am saddened by the passing away of noted writer Smt. Gita Mehta Ji. She was a multifaceted personality, known for her intellect and passion for writing as well as filmmaking. She was also passionate about nature and water conservation. My thoughts are with @Naveen_Odisha Ji and the entire family in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.”

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Union Education and Skill Development Minister Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a host of distinguished persons have expressed grief over the demise of the eminent author.

Gita Mehta, daughter of legendary leader late Biju Patnaik and elder sister of Naveen, passed away yesterday at her residence in Delhi.

She had been staying in India since the demise of her husband Sonny Mehta in 2019. She was ailing for the last two years.

Born in 1943, Gita pursued her education in India and University of Cambridge in the UK. She married renowned American publisher Sonny Mehta in 1965.

She has penned five books: ‘Karma Cola’, ‘Snake and Ladders’, ‘A River Sutra’, ‘Raj’ and ‘The Eternal Ganesha’.

Gita had portrayed India’s glorious history, culture and religion in her writings. Her books were translated into 13 languages and published in 27 countries.

She had produced and directed 14 television documentaries for UK, European countries and United States.

Gita was the war correspondent for the United States television network of National Broadcasting Company during the 1970s.