Very few can forget his innocent smile and soft voice. Today, though, Ishmeet Singh, the popular winner of a reality singing competition is no more. In shocking news that engulfed Ludhiana in a pall of gloom and collective mourning, the budding singer died on Tuesday apparently by drowning in Maldives.

A blooming career cut short, the rattled city reacted with disbelief as the news spread like wildfire. People from all walks of life — friends, relatives and fans of the Sardar who had captured the imagination of the nation with his melodious voice – started streaming into in to his home at Shastri Nagar, many of them weeping loudly. Only last year the city had run a campaign lobbying for the singing sensation. The Sikh community and Punjabis across India and the world voted proudly and unabashedly for him, making him the eventual winner.

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