Ex-J&K Governor Satyapal Malik Dies at 79

Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Satyapal Malik died on Tuesday, August 5. He was 79.

He was admitted at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) Hospital in New Delhi due to prolonged illness.

His

death was confirmed by his personal secretary, reported news agency ANI. The hospital said that he died at 1:10 pm.

Former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik passes away at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after a prolonged illness, confirms his PS, KS Rana. pic.twitter.com/4fwS7Z5Qv6

— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025

Malik oversaw Article 370 in J&K

Malik began his career from student politics and became a significant political figure in Indian politics.

Throughout his political journey, he was associated with multiple parties such as Congress, Janata Dal, Lok Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He held key roles in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha along with various state assemblies.

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It was during Malik's tenure when Article 370 was abrogated in the erstwhile state of J&K on August 5, 2019. The special status of the state was revoked, dividing it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. Today is the sixth anniversary of the Centre's decision.

Malik's career was marked by open and outspoken perspectives, a deep connect on the ground for issues related to agriculture and farmers.

He was also accused of alleged

corruption involving₹2,200 crore in Kiru Hydroelectric Project. The CBI had raided his residence in February earlier this year.  

Hospital outlines Satyapal Malik's health during past days

Dr Himanshu Mahapatra of RML Hospital told reporters that the death of Malik was not sudden. He was admitted into the hospital for nearly last three months and his health was deteriorating each passing day.

He also said that Malik was put on ventilator as his health conditions got critical and suffered a kidney failure. No

improvement was witnessed in his health as the infection was unresponsive to any kind of medical treatments.

"We administered several antibiotics and treated him for congenital meningitis for a period. His condition was unstable, and he was placed on a ventilator about 3–4 weeks ago. A tracheostomy was also performed. During this period, he experienced renal failure, for which dialysis was done," the doctor said, as per news agency PTI.

"He also developed severe sepsis. We carried out CytoSorb therapy

multiple times to remove toxins from the body. Although there was some improvement, the infection remained unresponsive to all types of antibiotics and antifungal treatments. Over the past 10 days, his condition deteriorated significantly. He required medication to maintain his blood pressure and was extremely critical. We had informed the patient’s relatives about his condition, and they had accepted the prognosis," he added.

PM Modi; Politicians offer condolences 

After Malik's death, PM Narendra

Modi and other politicians expressed their grief on the loss and offered condolences to his family.

"Saddened by the passing away of Shri Satyapal Malik Ji. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief," PM Modi said on X.

Haryana's former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala took to X (formerly Twitter) and said, "The news of the demise of former Governor and senior public leader Shri Satyapal Malik Ji is extremely sorrowful. He always fearlessly advocated for the public’s welfare. The Jannayak Janata Party

respectfully salutes his outspoken politics, farmer-friendly thinking, and simplicity in public life. May God grant peace to the departed soul."



(This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates)