NEW DELHI: Former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Saturday.
He was 66 years old and is survived by his wife Sangeeta Jaitley, and two children – Sonali Jaitley Bakshi and Rohan Jaitley – both lawyers.
Jaitley had undergone surgeries to treat his cancer, and had been admitted to the ICU on August 9.
Jaitley’s demise comes a few weeks after the death of his long-time colleague, former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on August 6. Both Jaitley and Swaraj had opted out of contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha election or joining the new Narendra Modi Cabinet citing poor health.
Jaitley was also actively involved in cricket administration and has been associated with the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) for decades. He was also appointed the vice president of the north zone by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2009, a post he held till 2013.
Jaitley served as the president of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), one of the country’s most influential cricketing bodies, from 1999 to 2013.
He was accused of corruption during his tenure at DDCA, but no charges were ever proven against him.
He brought a defamation case against Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejrwal after the latter alleged that there were financial irregularities at the DDCA during his tenure.
The case was settled after Kejriwal tendered an unconditional apology.
