Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Dineshwar Sharma, Lakshadweep administrator died at the age of 66 in a hospital in Chennai from complications related to a lung ailment on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah condole the death. Tributes paid by other political leaders like former J&K chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who all praised him for his knowledge and skills.

That made him a natural choice for the Modi government which decided to appoint him special representative for Jammu & Kashmir on October 25, 2017. His post was equivalent to the post of Cabinet Secretary.

Sharma, as J&K interlocutor, pursued dialogue with various stakeholders in J&K till the BJP-PDP coalition collapsed in 2017. It was he who recommended releasing first time stone pelters from jail.

PM Modi tweeted on Friday after his death: "Administrator of Lakshadweep Shri Dineshwar Sharma Ji made long lasting contributions to India's policing and security apparatus. He handled many sensitive counter terror and insurgency ops during his policing career. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti".

Sharma joined the Intelligence Bureau as Assistant Director in January 1991 in Kashmir when the insurgency was at its peak there. During his service, Sharma handled a number of assignments including counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.