DHANBAD, July 15 -- Veteran Congress leader, former minister and a prominent trade unionist Mannan Mallik passed away at a private hospital in Ranchi on Tuesday after a prolonged illness at the age of 83. Mallik was under judicial custody at the time of his death following his recent conviction in the Mat Kuria firing case. A local court had last week sentenced him, his son and several others to three years' imprisonment. According to his counsel, Abhay Kumar Bhatt, Mallik was unable to file a bail petition as he had been undergoing treatment in the Ranchi hospital. His death triggered widespread grief across Jharkhand, especially in the coal belt of Dhanbad, where he was known for his long political career and unwavering commitment to the welfare of mine workers. Mallik was elected as the Congress MLA from Dhanbad in 2009 and later served as a minister in the Hemant Soren-led government. Before entering the Assembly, he strengthened the Congress organisation as Dhanbad District Congress president and had earlier served as the personal secretary to former Bihar chief minister Abdul Ghafoor. A leading face of the coalfields' labour movement, Mallik served as executive president of the Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh (RCMS) and the Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Union. He consistently advocated for better wages, improved working conditions and social security for coal workers, earning respect across political and social circles....