Kerala Governor MOH Farook, 74, passed away on Thursday night at Apollo Hospital, Chennai where he was admitted some weeks ago for treatment for renal disorders.

The end came at about 9.15 pm Thursday following deterioration in his condition, reports from Chennai said.

Born on September 6, 1937, MO Hasan Farook Maricar was appointed Kerala’s 19th Governor on August 25, 2011. But he took charge only on September 8. The Kerala Government declared seven-day State-wide mourning as a mark of respect for Farook though he could serve Kerala as Governor only for a short period.

Farook was Jharkhand Governor before coming to Kerala. He had been chief minister of Pondicherry from 1967 to 1968, from 1969 to 1974 and from 1985 to 1990. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Pondicherry in 1991, 1996 and 1999. He had also served as a Union Minister of State between June, 1991 and December, 1992.

As a student, Farook had participated in the struggle for liberation of Pondicherry from France during 1953-54 when it was a French colony. He had served as a member of the Central Haj Committee in Mumbai from 1975 to 2000. He was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in September 2004.

Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj had been given the additional charge of Kerala after Farook was hospitalized. CM Oommen Chandy, who was in Thrissur when the news of Farook’s death came, was expected to leave for Pondicherry early Friday morning for attending the funeral.

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