Renowned Kannada novelist SL Bhyrappa passed away aged 94 on Tuesday in Karnataka's Bengaluru. Bhyrappa, who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015, the Padma Shri in 2016, and the Padma Bhushan in 2023, had been receiving treatment for age-related complications for several months. Calling Bhyrappa a "fearless thinker", PM Narendra Modi said, "We have lost a towering stalwart."