Patna: Acharya Kishore Kunal, the retired IPS officer and prominent social figure, passed away from a cardiac arrest in Patna on Sunday morning. He was 74.
Kunal, a 1972 batch IPS officer, was the head of the Bihar State Board of Religious Trust (BSBRT) and the founding secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust in Patna, which operates hospitals and educational institutions across Bihar. Family members confirmed that Kunal suffered a cardiac arrest early Sunday and was rushed to a hospital, where he died around 8 am. His son, Saayan Kunal, and daughter-in-law, Shambhavi Chaudhary, an LJP (Ram Vilas) MP from Samastipur, were with him at the time of his passing.
After retiring from the police force in 2000, Kunal dedicated himself to social causes, notably serving as the President of the Bihar State Religious Trust Board and the Secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust. Under his leadership, the trust ran hospitals and schools, including the well-known Gyan Niketan in Patna. Kunal also played a key role in mediating religious disputes, including a significant assignment by the central government in the 1990s to facilitate dialogue between the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Babri Masjid Action Committee.
Born on August 10, 1950, in Bihar, Kunal was a Sanskrit scholar who built a distinguished career in law enforcement. He served in high-profile roles, including Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna and Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Home Affairs. His legacy of public service, religious reform, and community empowerment remains deeply respected in Bihar and beyond.
Following his death, Kunal’s body was taken to his residence in Gusain Tola, Patna, where a large crowd gathered to pay tribute. Kunal’s cremation is scheduled to take place in his ancestral village of Hajipur, Vaishali district, at 2 pm on Monday, as per family sources.
Governor Rajendra V Arlekar and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed their heartfelt condolences, praising Kunal for his immense contributions to both social and religious causes. Arlekar called his death an “irreparable loss” and acknowledged Kunal’s efforts in integrating religious service with humanitarian work.
