Lucknow bid a somber farewell to Sahara Group founder Subrata Roy as his last rites were performed by his grandsons, Himanc Roy and Kushaan Roy, at the Baikunth Dham cremation ground. The poignant ceremony took place on Thursday, drawing a crowd of friends, well-wishers, and political figures to pay their respects.
Subrata Roy, who passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday night after battling a prolonged illness, saw a significant absence at his funeral — his two sons. According to sources close to the family, business engagements kept them away from the final farewell to their father.
Sixteen-year-old Himanc Roy, the son of Subrata Roy’s younger son Seemanto Roy, and five-year-old Kushaan Roy, the son of the Sahara chief’s elder son Sushanto Roy, took on the responsibility of jointly performing the last rites, creating a poignant generational connection.
The Baikunth Dham cremation ground witnessed the gathering of prominent figures, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, senior Congress leader Pramod Tewari, former U.P. Congress president and actor Raj Babbar, senior BJP leader Ammar Rizvi, and film producer Boney Kapoor.
Scores of Sahara employees and the public accompanied Subrata Roy’s body as it made its way from Sahara Shahar to the cremation ground around 4 pm. The late Sahara founder’s body had been brought to Lucknow by a chartered plane on Wednesday evening. His wife, Swapna Roy, arrived in the state capital on Wednesday, accompanied by grandsons Himanc and Kushaan, along with other family members.
Prominent political figures present at the ceremony included SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel, former ministers Arvind Singh Gope and Abhishek Mishra, SP MLC Rajesh Yadav, former MLA Anugrah Narayan Singh alias Khokha Singh, former MLC Siraj Mehdi, Rashtriya Lok Dal national spokesperson Anil Dubey, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, former MP Naresh Agrawal, excise minister Nitin Agrawal, Nira Radia, and Sonu Nigam, all of whom paid their respects to Roy.
In addition to political figures, a diverse array of personalities from various fields paid homage to the late Sahara chief. Former Indian hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay, Juhi Babbar, Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharkwal, City Montessori School founder Jagdish Gandhi, actor Gul Panag, and pianist Brian Silas joined the grieving community in offering their condolences.
Subrata Roy’s passing marks the end of an era for the Sahara Group, and his grandsons, Himanc and Kushaan, carrying the torch forward in performing the last rites, symbolizes a connection between the past and the future of the influential business legacy.