Pune, Oct 25 (Indian Express) : Rasiklal M Dhariwal, chairman of the board at Manikchand Group, died at hospital here on Tuesday night. He was 78. Dhariwal was undergoing treatment for advanced parotid cancer, or salivary gland cancer, when he was detected with pneumonia and admitted to Ruby Hall Clinic hospital here. He died of sepsis and multi-organ failure, doctors at hospital said.

Dhariwal was admitted to the hospital on September 4 and died at 8.15 pm on Tuesday, Dr Sanjay Pathare, Medical Director at the hospital said. He had been detected with parotid cancer a year ago and was being treated at HCG cancer hospital in Bengaluru and Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune. Manikchand Group is a group of industries in India that primarily started out as a company producing chewable tobacco products.

Dhariwal started his career from a bidi factory that he had inherited from his father. Later, he moved on to chewable tobacco or gutka and went on to become a gutka baron. Dhariwal was known to be close to various political leaders in the country. He was the president of Shirur Municipal Council for 21 years and his son was also president of the Council. He is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.