Former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren dies

THE Jharkhand government declared a three-day state mourning in honour of former Chief Minister CM Shibu Soren, who died on Monday morning. He was 81.

The Jharkhand government has also cancelled all its scheduled programmes during the period, the statement said.

"All state government offices will remain closed on August 4 and 5," it said.

"The state government has decided to observe three days of state mourning from August 4 to August 6, 2025, following the death of former Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren this morning at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi," it added.

The national flag will be flown at half-mast at all buildings in Jharkhand, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Assembly was adjourned sine die.

Shibu Soren, the founder of the state's ruling JMM, died at 81 at a hospital in New Delhi following a prolonged illness. "Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all... I have become 'shunya' (zero) today," Hemant Soren posted on X.

Shibu Soren had been undergoing treatment at the hospital since June 19 for kidney-related problems, under the care of Dr A K Bhalla, Senior Consultant, Nephrology.

Dr Bhalla said Shibu Soren was declared dead at 8.56 am. "He was suffering from kidney ailments, and had suffered a stroke a month and a half back. He was on life support for the last one month," the doctor was quoted by PTI as saying.

"Despite the best efforts of our multidisciplinary medical team, Shibu Soren passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025, with his family by his bedside," the hospital said in a statement.

State Health Minister Irfan Ansari said Shibu Soren's body will be brought to Ranchi around 4 pm, following which it will be taken to his residence in Morabadi area.

His body will be brought to the Jharkhand Assembly at 11 am on Tuesday, and then it will be taken to his native place Nemra in Ramgarh district.