TV news anchor Rohit Sardana dies during coronavirus treatment
What's the story
Rohit Sardana, popular television journalist and Hindi news anchor, passed away on Friday after suffering a heart attack. He had tested positive for COVID-19. The news has been confirmed by Sardana's former colleague and ZEE News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on social media. Sardana's sudden passing has left the media world in a state of utter shock. May his soul rest in peace.
Details
Chaudhary confirmed the news on Twitter this afternoon
A while ago, Chaudhary tweeted that he had received a phone call from one of his colleagues informing about Sardana's death. "My hands started shivering after hearing the news...I had never imagined that this virus would take someone so close from us," he wrote. "I was not ready for this. This is God's injustice," he added.
Twitter Post
You can read his tweet here
अब से थोड़ी पहले @capt_ivane का फ़ोन आया।उसने जो कहा सुनकर मेरे हाथ काँपने लगे।हमारे मित्र और सहयोगी रोहित सरदाना की मृत्यु की ख़बर थी।ये वाइरस हमारे इतने क़रीब से किसी को उठा ले जाएगा ये कल्पना नहीं की थी।इसके लिए मैं तैयार नहीं था।ये भगवान की नाइंसाफ़ी है..
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) April 30, 2021
ॐ शान्ति
Diagnosis
Sardana had revealed COVID-19 diagnosis on April 24
Sardana had himself tweeted about his COVID-19 diagnosis on April 24. "I am now doing better. Please take care of yourself and your family members," he had written at that time. In his last few days, Sardana, who had over four million followers on Twitter, had been sharing and amplifying SOS messages from patients and their attendants looking for medical oxygen, plasma, and medicines.
Twitter Post
This was Sardana's final tweet
नाम-करुणा श्रीवास्तव
— रोहित सरदाना (@sardanarohit) April 29, 2021
उम्र-39
6 रेमडीसीवीर इंजेक्शन की अर्जेंट ज़रूरत है
गणेश हॉस्पिटल कानपुर.
अटेंडेंट ब्रजेश श्रीवास्तव-97948 48090@shalabhmani @rajiasup @CMOfficeUP
Work
Sardana had been working as a journalist for 15 years
Sardana was born on September 22, 1981 in Kurukshetra, Haryana. After earning a degree in psychology, he studied mass communication at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology. He had been associated with ZEE News since 2004, and hosted the debate program Taal Thok Ke on that channel. He joined Hindi channel Aaj Tak in 2017 and had been hosting the debate show Dangal.
Reactions
Fellow journalist Rajdeep Sardesai remembers Sardana
Mourning Sardana's passing, India Today news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted, "Rohit and I had differing political views but always enjoyed debating without any rancour." "We did a show one night that finished at 3 am (think it was SC verdict on Karnataka) after which he said, 'boss aaj maza aa gaya!' He was a passionate anchor journalist. RIP Rohit Sardana (sic)."
Twitter Post
'Destined for great things,' says another colleague
Rohit Sardana was the sharpest young anchor I have met. Superb command over Hindi, brilliant with his turn of the phrase, precise questions, clear in his thinking, loved by the masses, warm and humble off the screen, he was destined for great things. Our newsroom is in deep shock
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) April 30, 2021