Vijay Ghogre, the 33-year-old Maratha Morcha protester who died of a heart attack on Saturday, was taken back to his hometown in Latur in the early hours of Sunday.

A resident of Takalgaon in Latur, Vijay is survived by his wife and two sons, aged eight and four. “We performed Vijay’s last rites at 1.30 am on Sunday. The situation looks very bleak for his family. He worked as a private car driver and was the only earning member. The entire village had to contribute funds for the rituals,” said his uncle, Balaji Gopinath Ghogre.

Family members said Vijay had no prior health issues and was doing well in Latur. But days before his death, he had called home, describing the poor living conditions protesters faced in Mumbai. “Vijay called me late on August 28 and said there was no proper place to eat, sleep, or relieve himself,” Balaji added.