Gangaiah Hegde, father of Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) founder late VG Siddhartha, passed away on Sunday, August 25.
The 96-year-old Hegde was a coffee planter. He was hospitalised at a private hospital in Mysuru due to age-related ailments. His mortal remains will be kept in Chikkamagaluru's Chetanahalli estate, where Siddhartha was cremated.
He was hospitalised before Siddhartha committed suicide by jumping off from the Netravati bridge at Ullal in Mangaluru on July 31. Siddhartha often used to visit his father at the hospital.
According to reports, he had come to the hospital on July 27 to meet his father before he went to Mangaluru. His death was not conveyed to Hegde till the end.
Hegde was Siddhartha's mentor in the coffee business and helped him set up the multi-crore business empire of Café Coffee Day (CCD) that gave Karnataka its café culture.
