Mangaluru: DV Bhaskar, younger brother of DV Sadananda Gowda, Union minister of statistics and programme implementation, passed away at a private hospital in the city on Tuesday following a brief spell of illness.

An advocate by profession, Bhaskar was 56. Sadananda Gowda broke the news with this tweet: “Sorry to inform. My brother Mr Baskar ended his life journey on Tuesday. Will be conducting his last rites at our village at #Puttur #Mangaluru @ DVSBJP.”

Sadananda Gowda told that Bhaskar was down with a jaundice attack five months ago and was undergoing treatment. “He suffered a relapse a month ago and was again admitted to the hospital,” the minister said adding end came earlier in the day due to jaundice related complications. “Bhaskar is survived by wife Veena and three children,” Gowda said adding the final rites will be performed at family property at Devaragunda in Sullia taluk.

Bhaskar is third among four brothers and one of the six children of late Venkappa Gowda and late Kamala. While Shivaram and Sadananda are his elder brother, Suresh in the younger brother. The Venkappa couple had two other girls – Rathnavathi and Savithri. Incidentally, Savithri Shivarama Gowda, younger sister of Sadandanda Gowda, and then sitting zilla panchayat member had passed away in October 2014 following an unsuccessful battle with cancer.

His mother Kamala too had passed away within a week of Savithri’s death doubling the grief for the minister, who then was holding the coveted portfolio of railways. Sadananda Gowda said it was Bhaskar who was instrumental in ensuring that he had a free run at politics while his younger sibling stayed back in the village to look after the family property and taking care of their aged mother Kamala. People from various strata of life condoled the death of Bhaskar.