Veteran News Reader of Akashvani, Venkatraman passed away in Chennai last night. The 102-year-old was the first voice in Tamil to convey the momentous news of India attaining Independence from Delhi in the early hours of 15th of August 1947. The news was first broadcast in Tamil for Radio Ceylon at 5.45 am. Venkatraman was with Akashvani for 64 years working as both a regular and as a casual artiste. He was a scriptwriter when he entered Radio but later joined the News Section in Tamil in New Delhi.