Liquor shops in Bengaluru were told to down their shutters on Friday, October 29, after the popular Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar passed away in the city. He was 46 years old. Two liquor stores that TNM spoke to said that the police had asked them to close their outlets from around 3 pm. The move was said to be part of a routine procedure. Similar orders had been issued even in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, during the deaths of former Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi. In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the Karnataka Police said that liquor shops in the city will be shut until midnight of October 31.
Puneeth Rajkumar, often referred to as 'Power Star,' suffered a heart attack on Friday morning while he was working out at the gym on October 29. He was at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vikram Hospital. Earlier in the day, doctors told the media that the actor’s condition was serious, and that the heart attack was a major one. "We are trying all possible treatments," the doctor had said. Puneeth is the youngest son of Kannada cinema legend Dr Rajkumar and had acted in the lead role in over 30 films over two decades.
Earlier in the day, a massive crowd gathered outside the hospital, with fans anxiously waiting for an update about the actor’s health and praying for him to get better. Police were also deployed around the Kannada actor’s residence in Sadashiva Nagar area of Bengaluru. The roads from Bengaluru’s Cunningham road leading up to the actor’s residence in Sadashiva Nagar area were cordoned off, with the police putting up barricades to block the roads. Ali Asker Road and Cunningham Road had also been blocked for traffic. Students at St. Andrews College of Arts, Science and Commerce, which is located near the actor’s residence, had been asked to return home. The college has been closed for the day.
#Karnataka #PuneetRajkumar@BlrCityPolice have banned sale of alcohol in #Bengaluru from today till midnight 31 October. @IndianExpress @IEBengaluru pic.twitter.com/62MFYqIyoY
— Kiran Parashar (@KiranParashar21) October 29, 2021
A popular television presenter, who was also referred to as 'Áppu', Puneet began his career as a child artiste, and was among the highest paid actors in the Kannada film industry. Several people have expressed their condolences following his death.
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