Eminent neurosurgeon, noted academician and Padma Shri awardee Dr. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra (74) passed away today. His death has left the medical fraternity and academic community in Odisha deeply saddened. TNI Bureau: Eminent neurosurgeon, noted academician and Padma Shri awardee Dr. He was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, after suffering a severe brain stroke.