Ranchi, Aug. 5 -- Former chief minister and co-founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Shibu Soren, who played a key role in the creation of Jharkhand, breathed his last during treatment at a private hospital in New Delhi on Monday. He was 81. Soren had been undergoing treatment at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital since June 19. His body arrived in Ranchi late in the evening and will be cremated at his paternal village, Nemra, under Gola block in Ramgarh district on Tuesday, JMM leaders said. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren broke the news of his father's demise on Monday morning through a social media post. "Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all... I have become 'shunya' (zero) today," Hemant Soren posted on X. Later, speaking to reporters at the hospital, Hemant said, "Today is a very sad day. The leader of the tribals, Dishom Guru Shibu Soren ji, is no longer with us. He breathed his last this morning. He was battling illness for a long time. His health kept fluctuating, but he fought till his last breath. I have no words to express the pain I feel at the loss of such a great man. He will always be in our memories." Condolences poured in over the demise of the three-term former chief minister, with several senior leaders across party lines visiting the hospital to pay their last respects. "Went to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to pay homage to Shri Shibu Soren Ji. Also, I met his family. My thoughts are with Hemant Ji, Kalpana Ji, and the admirers of Shri Shibu Soren Ji," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post. Meanwhile, the Jharkhand assembly, which began its five-day monsoon session on August 1, was adjourned sine die as a mark of respect to the former chief minister. Adjourning the House, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato said, "...Shibu Soren, who brought the deprived society of Jharkhand out of darkness and illuminated it with the light of rights and justice, is no more among us. His departure is an irreparable loss not only for Jharkhand but for the entire country - in politics, in society, and the continuous struggle against injustice." The Jharkhand government declared three days of state mourning as a mark of respect. All government programmes, including state-level events, were cancelled, and all state offices will remain closed on August 4 and 5, an official statement said. JMM leaders said that before the last rites, Soren's mortal remains would be kept at the party's central office in Harmu and then taken to the assembly premises. "It will be kept at the party office and the assembly for 'antim darshan'. From there, the mortal remains will be taken to Nemra for the last rites," said JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey. The entire Hemant Soren cabinet, elected representatives, senior party leaders across party lines, and a large crowd of supporters gathered at the Ranchi airport to catch a glimpse of Shibu Soren's mortal remains....