India, April 6 -- Fans' worst fears have come true. ACP Pradyuman, an icon of Indian television, is indeed dead. For those living under a rock since 1998, ACP Pradyuman is the protagonist of CID, one of the longest-running shows in the world and a cult hit in India. The previous episode showed the senior cop dying in an explosion, with reports emerging that the actor - Shivaji Satam - wanted a break. The rumours about the death were confirmed by the TV channel Sony TV in a social media post on Saturday, leading to outrage from the fans. (Also read: Shivaji Satam's character ACP Pradyuman to die in crime thriller CID? Here's what we know)

Late on Saturday night, Sony shared an image of ACP Pradyuman on Instagram with the words, "In the lo...