Mumbai, Feb 11 (IANS): Veteran journalist Nandu R. Kulkarni, the Bureau Chief of the Kolkata-based newspaper The Statesman passed away on Tuesday following a heart attack at a hospital here.

Kulkarni, 69, was a bachelor and lived alone at his home in the suburb of Kandivali in northwest Mumbai.

According to a family source, since the past couple of days, he was not seen nor was his door opened, prompting worried neighbours to summon the police and fire brigade on Tuesday.

Getting no response, the flat was broken open and they found Kulkarni lying inside in a serious state. He was rushed to the Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali west where he succumbed this afternoon.

His body has been sent for an autopsy and the police are making further investigations, a close relative said.

Kulkarni started his career with The Indian Express Mumbai in 1976 and covered economic offences, moving on to cover banking and politics.

After a 16-year stint with his first paper, he joined The Statesman Mumbai in 1992 as its Chief of Bureau and continued there till his demise.

At The Statesman he reported on a wide range of subjects including politics, business and other fields.

"He was an outstanding reporter and even a wonderful person. We shall miss him very much," said Ravindra Kumar, Editor of The Statesman.

Considered a workaholic, he broke several major stories in his career and was considered an authority on political and banking beats.

Banking was his forte where he had many big breaks to his credit, besides covering the Harshad Mehta and related scams of the early 1990s.