Siddaramaiah’s son dead

Rakesh Siddaramaiah, eldest son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, died of multi-organ failure on Saturday at the Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium.

Rakesh, who celebrated his 39th birthday earlier this month, was hospitalised last Sunday after he developed severe pain in the abdomen that was a result of liver and pancreatic complications. He was on dialysis.

He is survived by wife Smitha, son Dhyan (8) and daughter Thanmayee (5).

Sources said Rakesh initially visited his son, who stays with his maternal aunt in Germany. He then went on a holiday with his friends, at Tomorrowland, the world’s biggest electronic music festival at the Belgium town of Boom, where he fell ill.

Sources said Rakesh had pancreatitis after suffering an injury to his pancreas in a near-fatal accident several years ago. The problem was recurrent with symptoms of severe epigastric pain. The attack in Belgium was severe, said the sources.

The Chief Minister’s family might leave Belgium with the body on Sunday.