Former Indian president, Pranab Mukherjee, dies at 84

ARUN SANKAR / AFP

Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, died on Monday after weeks in hospital, his son and the current president's office said.

A veteran politician who served as foreign and finance minister in previous administrations, Mukherjee was in a deep coma and on ventilator support after coming down with a lung infection.

"His demise is passing of an era," the office of President Ram Nath Kovind said in a tweet.

Mukherjee had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 10 and had been hospitalised since.

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