Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam Laid to Rest With Police Honours

The singer’s mortal remains had been kept at his farmhouse in Thamaraipakkam for the public to pay their respects.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

SP Balasubrahmanyam was on Saturday, 26 September, laid to rest with full police honours. His last rites were carried out at Thamaraipakkam village of Thiruvallore district, where the singer’s mortal remains had been kept at his farmhouse for the public to pay their respects, IANS reported.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of people, including celebrities from the movie world, stood in a long queue to pay homage to the singer at the farm house.

A singer, music composer and actor, SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away on Friday at 1.04 pm after suffering a cardiac arrest.

His mortal remains were taken to the farmhouse on Friday evening, where a number of people gathered to have a last glimpse of the singer and pay their respects.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had on Friday said that the legendary singer would be laid to rest with full police honours, The News Minute reported. The Chief Minister said that the singer holds a place in the hearts of the people not only from Tamil Nadu but across the nation.

According to The News Minute, in a condolence note, the CM remembered the songs sung by the singer for the two former chief ministers from AIADMK, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

He said, “I am saddened by hearing about the demise of SP Balasubrahmanyam.  He was the gift of god for this 20th century.  He held a very important place in the heart of former late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran (MGR) who waited for SPB to sing the well known ‘Aayiram Nilave Vaa’.”

The singer was admitted to the hospital on 5 August, where he tested positive for coronavirus. He had posted a video on his official Facebook page, informing his fans about his COVID-19 test. Towards the end of August, SPB was said to be stable, though he was on ventilator support and on ECMO.

On 7 September, Charan had announced that SPB had tested negative for coronavirus. The 74-year-old even celebrated his wedding anniversary at the hospital. Even so, Charan had added that his father’s lungs needed to improve.

Last week, Balasubrahmanyam's son SP Charan, who had been giving regular updates about his father’s health, had posted on Instagram that the singer was recovering well. However, on 24 September, a press release from Chennai’s MGM hospital said that SPB was extremely critical.

(With inputs from IANS and The News Minute.)