Woman passes away while on live television

As renowned Indian Professer Rita Jitendra was being taken to the Good Morning J&K TV studio earlier this week, she told staff she hoped to one day die “while working.”

Not long afterwards, the well-respected academic passed away while doing just that.

The 81-year-old was being interviewed live on air about her life and memories for the breakfast television program when she suddenly closed her eyes, stopped talking and collapsed.

She was rushed to the SMHS Hospital in Jammu, where she was declared dead on arrival.

According to the Indian Telegraph, the “broadcasting legend” and TV regular’s cause of death was cardiac arrest and choking.

She was declared dead on arrival at hospital. Picture: Lokmatnews.In

Employee Hafiza Muzaffar told the publication the academic had told a male official during the drive to the studio that morning she wanted a similar death to former president Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, who died at 83 while delivering a lecture in 2015.

“She told him that Dr Kalam had died while working. That is how she met her end too. She breathed her last in the studio itself,” Ms Muzaffar said.

Good Morning J&K anchor Zahid Mukhtar told the Telegraph Prof Jitendra’s sudden death had been a shock.

“She was telling us a few interesting things about her life and was looking absolutely normal,” he said.

“But suddenly she stopped talking and began having hiccups. We had to cut the interview (and switch to) a documentary to attend to her and take her to hospital.

“She had a great association with television.”