Cartoonist Narayan Debnath, creator of 'Bantul The Great', dies at 97

Cartoonist Narayan Debnath, the creator of Bengali comic characters 'Bantul The Great', 'Handa Bhonda' and 'Nonte Phonte', died in Kolkata on Tuesday morning after a prolonged illness, said the hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

He was 97.

Debnath, a Padma Shri awardee, died at 10.15 am, an official of the hospital said.

He was admitted to the private hospital on December 24 and was on ventilator support.