Updated: November 13, 2020 11:33:06 am
The writer is also the founder of the Prarthana Education Society in Bengaluru, which runs a chain of schools.
Noted Karnataka journalist and writer Ravi Belagere died in Bangalore after suffering a heart attack on Friday morning.
The 62-year-old ‘Hai Bangalore’ editor in chief, who redefined Kannada tabloid journalism, was in his office when he was attacked and rushed to a private hospital.
On Twitter, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa recalled Belagere’s work as a journalist and writer. “I pray to the Almighty that he gives his family and fans courage to bear the loss,” he posted on the microblogging site.
Belagere is survived by his two wives, two sons and two daughters. According to his family, his mortal remains will be kept in the Prarthana school for people to pay their last respects.
With a master’s degree in history, Belagere began his career as a history teacher at Ballari, his place of origin. Later he came to Bengaluru and started working in a printing company.
In 1995, he started the tabloid in Kannada, ‘Hai Bangalore’, which gradually became popular throughout the state.
In addition to this, Belagere also authored at least 70 books on crime, politics, fiction, translation, storytelling, column writing, and biography that nurtured a Kannada niche of readers. His column in ‘Paapigala Lokadalli’, about the Bengaluru underworld, was also very popular.
In addition to writing, he was known for his unique storytelling and reporting skills for his show ‘Crime Diary’, which aired on a private television channel on Kannada.
Belagere received several awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, the Rajyothsava Award, and the Karnataka Media Academy Award for lifetime achievement, among others.
The writer is also the founder of the Prarthana Education Society in Bengaluru, which runs a chain of schools.
In 2017, he was arrested by the Central Crime Division (CCB) of the Karnataka Police on charges of conspiracy to kill a colleague. The agency said Belagere had allegedly hired a hit man to take out Sunil Heggaravalli, the tabloid’s top crime reporter, who thought he was having an affair with his second wife.
Belagere’s alleged contract murder plot came to light as police investigated the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.
.
