Mumbai

A post going viral on social media has claimed that Ratan Tata's pet dog 'Goa' died three days after the death of the chairman emeritus of one of India's biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons.  

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Rumours stated that Goa, who is a permanent resident at the Tata Group's office at Bombay House, died due to the shock of its owner's death. 

"Sad news. Tata's pet dog Goa dies after 3 days of his death. That's why they say that Dogs are more faithful to their masters than human beings," read the viral post. 

As the supposed news went viral, Sudhir Kudalkar, a senior inspector in the Mumbai Police stepped up and conducted his investigation. 

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Kudalkar took to his Instagram account after his probe and debunked the fake news, stating that 'Goa' was alive and doing fine. 

"I verified this with Shantanu Naidu, a close friend of Tata Ji, and he confirmed that Goa is doing fine," Kudalkar posted. 

He also shared screenshots of his messages with Shantanu Naidu confirming Goa's good health. The senior police officer also cautioned the netizens to not fall for rumours and misinformation. 

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"Please make sure to verify facts before sharing posts," he added. 

The stray dog, who had become a beloved companion of Tata during his latter years, was even present at his funeral, following the Parsi tradition of Sagdid.

Watch | Ratan Tata: Phenomenal Contributions By India's Widely Celebrated Philanthropist | WION Originals

Ratan Tata's death

Tata died at the age of 86 last week after he was admitted to the intensive care of the Breach Candy Hospital. 

"It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation," N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Group said in a statement. 

Also read | Five-star treatment for dogs! When Ratan Tata allowed strays to his famous Taj Hotel in Mumbai

Tata became chairman of the conglomerate in 1991 and ran the group founded by his great-grandfather more than a hundred years ago until 2012. He founded the telecommunications company Tata Teleservices in 1996 and took the IT company Tata Consultancy Services public in 2004.

After stepping down, he was conferred with the title of chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, Tata Industries, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals, the company website says.

(With inputs from agencies)