Kochi, Mar 26: Former MP and veteran Malayalam actor Innocent died on Sunday at a private hospital here. He was 75.

The actor, who was under treatment at the hospital since March 3, breathed his last at 10.30 pm.

"He was infected with Covid and had respiratory issues along with multiple organ failure resulting in heart failure," the hospital said in a release.

He was admitted to the critical care unit of the hospital and was on ECMO support.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of cardiopulmonary support where the patient's blood is pumped and oxygenated outside the body using a machine.

The actor-turned-politician has reportedly not been well for some time.

A few years ago, he had been diagnosed with cancer but in 2015 he announced that he was finally cured from the disease.

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Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.

His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.

“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.

Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”

“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.

Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.

“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.

The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.

The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.

As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.

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