One of the finest editors of Karnataka newspaper journalism E.RAGHAVAN passed away on Saturday night. He was around 65 years. He leaves behind his wife and a daughter.

With deep regrets we inform innumerable readers of his writing since 1980 in English newspapers like Indian Express and Times of India plus Economic Times from which he retired and came back as Editor of prestigious daily Vijaya Karnataka of Times Group. E Raghavan was also heading the Vijaya Next weekly magazine.

One of the best political journalist and hot favorite of former Editor in Chief of Indian Express Arun Shourie, E Raghavan a Mysorean Iyengari suffered heart attack tonight and he breathed his last at MS Ramaiah hospital.

The early days of Ethiraja Raghavan began in Mysore as Tele printer operator. He was sending news from Mysore to Indian Express Bangalore and for his crisp writing and observation was invited to Bangalore office of Indian Express of Indian Express in the Ramnath Goenka zamana.

The ability of E Raghavan to write in simple English attracted many. At the beginning of 80’s Arun Shourie in New Delhi invited E Raghavan to head ‘Karnataka bureau’.

When E Raghavan returned he was special correspondent that irked senior like VN Subba Rao. For this quick rise in the position E Raghavan took the chair of chief reporter of Indian Express during the Gundu Rao regime as chief minister.

There was no turning back till 1987 for E Raghavan. Point of View column, Veerappa Moily tape episode, Room No.737 Ashoka Hotel with suitcase of money and various others were unearthed in the investigative journalism headed by E Raghavan.

The team of E Raghavan was HR Ranganathan, S Shankarappa, K Govindarajan, Sharitha Rai, P Sarangapani (Photographer), Imran Quereshi did wonders and Indian Express anti establishment stand was talked high,

In 1987 E Raghavan built the Bangalore branch of The Times of India of Benett Coleman Company of Mumbai. A bunch of E Raghavan favorites jumped to The Times of India. It was mass resignation of journalists from Indian Express, Bangalore.

E Raghavan built The Times of India like how a child is given nourishment. He did not turn back in his career and later he became bureau chief of The Times of India, Karnataka. He moved to Economic Times as Editor from sister concerning leaving the responsibilities to HS Balaram.

E Raghavan retired from Economic Times and after a small interval he came back to Vijaya Karnataka as Editor when Vishveswhara Bhat resigned as Editor. E Raghavan was also head of Vijaya Next magazine in newspaper format.

With Khadri Shamanna as Kannada Prabha Editor in those days E Raghavan enjoyed the cream of respect when Ramakrishna Hegde became chief minister of Karnataka on January 10, 1983. He was coined as Hegde man in the journalism circles.

E Raghavan had the habit of smoking. He was down to earth very simple and his beard with specks never goes out from the memory.

May his soul rest in peace! E Raghavan type of Editors comes rarely on this earth. While giving tough competition to rivals he never used to carry the anger for long.