New Delhi (PTI): Celebrated comedian-actor Raju Srivastava died on Wednesday after over 40 days of hospitalization here, said his brother Dipoo Srivastava. He was 58.

Raju Srivastava suffered a heart attack on August 10 while working out at a hotel here. He was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and underwent angioplasty. Since then, he was on the ventilator and never gained consciousness.

"I got a call from the family about half-an-hour ago saying he is no more. It is really unfortunate. He was fighting in the hospital for over 40 days," Dipoo Srivastava told PTI.

Raju Srivastava was declared dead at 10.20 am, according to hospital sources.

A familiar face in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, the comedian tasted unparalleled success after participating in the first season of the reality stand-up comedy show "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge" (2005).

Raju Srivastava had also featured in Hindi films such as "Maine Pyar Kiya", "Baazigar", the remake of "Bombay to Goa" and "Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya".

He was the chairperson of the Film Development Council Uttar Pradesh.

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Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): One person died while seven others, mostly children, were hospitalised after allegedly consuming a wild vegetable in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said on Saturday.

The incident was reported from Mohra village in the Kotranka subdivision, where members of two families consumed a wild vegetable following which they started showing symptoms of food poisoning on Friday evening, they said.

The affected persons were initially shifted to the Community Health Centre in Kandi and later referred to the Government Medical College Hospital Rajouri for specialised treatment.

Officials said an elderly man, identified as Mohammad Hussain (60), died during treatment, while seven other members of the two families are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

“Prima facie, it is a case of food poisoning, but the matter is still under investigation,” a doctor said.

Officials said an investigation into the incident has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the poisoning.