Jharkhand minister Sudivya Kumar dies at 56 from cardiac arrest

Sudivya Kumar, a senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader and minister in the Jharkhand government, has died at 56 from cardiac arrest, the party said on Sunday.

Kumar represented Giridih in the state Assembly and held the portfolios of Higher and Technical Education and Urban Development. He also oversaw Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Sports and Youth Affairs.

The JMM said it was shocked and grieving. “The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha family is stunned and heart-broken by the untimely demise of Sudivya Kumar, a dedicated comrade of JMM and a Minister in Jharkhand government,” the party said in a post on X. It offered condolences to his family and prayed for peace for the deceased.

Kumar was first elected from Giridih in 2019. He is survived by two daughters and a son. A close aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he helped manage crises within the JMM, including during Soren’s 2024 arrest in connection with an alleged land fraud and money-laundering case.

Kumar had returned this week from Karnataka, where he led a state delegation examining ways to improve tourism infrastructure management. He met Karnataka Tourism Minister K J George to discuss cooperation in tourism and forest management. The delegation also discussed associating Jungle Lodges & Resorts as a knowledge partner for operating and managing tourism assets and resorts at major destinations in Jharkhand.

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The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha family is stunned and heart-broken by the untimely demise of Sudivya Kumar, a dedicated comrade of JMM and a Minister in Jharkhand government.