Veteran journalist Vinod Dua in ICU; daughter Mallika Dua requests people to stop spreading fake news

New Delhi, Nov 29: Veteran journalist Vinod Dua, who was hospitalised with Covid earlier this year, is in the ICU and his condition is "beyond critical", his daughter, actor-comic Mallika Dua, said on Monday and asked people to not spread rumours about his death.

The 67-year-old journalist, a pioneer in broadcast Hindi journalism with stints in Doordarshan and NDTV, lost his wife, radiologist Padmavati 'Chinna' Dua, in June after a prolonged battle with Covid.

"My Papaji is beyond critical in the ICU. His health had been deteriorating rapidly since April. He also is unable to come to terms with losing the light of his life. He has lived an extraordinary life and given us the same. He deserves no pain. He is immensely loved and revered and I request you all to pray that he experiences as little pain as possible," Mallika Dua wrote.

As news of his ill-health spread, so did rumours that he had passed away and some people even posted condolence messages, prompting his daughter to request people to not spread rumours.

"Request everyone to not spread rumours about my father's demise. He is in the ICU. Fighting still. Whatever be the outcome. Let him have his dignity. "Do not believe/spread misinformation please. I will issue all official news and updates on him. Not Twitter," Mallika wrote on her Instagram stories.

Vinod Dua and his wife were in a hospital in Gurgaon when the second Covid wave was at its peak. The journalist's health has suffered ever since and he has been in and out of hospitals. The couple is also parents to elder daughter Bakul Dua, a clinical psychologist.