AMRITSAR – Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, Former ‘Hazoori Raagi’ at Sri Harmandir Sahib, passed away after a heart attack at 4.30am on Thursday, a day after he was diagnosed with coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Amritsar civil surgeon Dr Prabhdeep Kaur Johal said he was put on ventilator on Wednesday night after his condition worsened due to his bronchial asthma.

With his death, the toll due to Covid-19 in Punjab has risen to six.

Bhai Nirmal Singh, who returned from UK in November 2019, was admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital after he complained of breathlessness and dizziness on March 30.

“A health department team visited his house on March 3 after we got the information that two guests – his uncle and aunt – from the US visited him. They were found asymptomatic. When the home quarantine period of the guests was over on March 17, they were found asymptomatic. Bhai Nirmal Singh then went to Chandigarh for a kirtan samagam on March 19 where over 100 people gathered,” Dr Johal said.

“He tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. He may have caught the infection during his trip to Chandigarh. He died of sudden cardiac arrest on Thursday,” she said.

Meanwhile, police sealed the area around his residence to check the spread of the infection.

As per relative statement, Bhai Nirmal Singh ji had two initial COVID-19 tests returned negative, however the third test report is being reported as positive by health officials.

According to the family relative, Bhai Sahib was kept in very dirty conditions and the officials are troubling the family members.

The civil surgeon said his two daughters, son, wife, a driver and six others who accompanied him have been isolated at a hospital here and their samples will be taken for testing.

Bhai Nirmal Singh has the knowledge of all 31 “raags” in the Gurbani of the Guru Granth Sahib. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009.