Home guard recruitment in Odisha: Aspirant dies during physical test

A recruitment drive for home guards in the Deogarh district took a tragic turn when a candidate, Saheb Dehury, from Budido village collapsed on the ground during a physical endurance test conducted yesterday and passed away while undergoing treatment in the wee hours of Thursday.

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Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed heartfelt condolences and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the family of the deceased, underscoring the government’s commitment to addressing the incident with compassion and accountability.

What lead to the fatal incident?

The incident unfolded at the Reserve Police grounds where Dehury, in the midst of running, fainted and was immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital (DHH). Despite receiving treatment, he was unable to be resuscitated and was declared ‘dead’.

The situation escalated into unrest at the hospital after family members and locals accused the attending medical personnel of negligence, which they believe contributed to the sad demise. Protests erupted, with the deceased’s relatives staging a sit-in at the hospital, demanding accountability and adequate compensation to the next of kin.

Govt authorities, including the Sub-Collector and the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), quickly arrived on the scene to address the grievances of the protestors. With discussions taking place, the tense atmosphere was eventually defused. In a gesture of immediate support, the Red Cross provided the family with financial assistance amounting to Rs 30,000.

Promising further action, the Sub-Collector declared an investigation into the allegations of medical negligence, assuring that the results would lead to appropriate action.

“He (Saheb) appeared for the interview (physical test) and was asked to run. After running, he felt uneasy and fell on the ground at around 3.30-4.00 PM. As the bed was not available in the health facility, he was laid on the floor,” the victim youth’s father, Pradeep alleged.

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“He (Saheb) was administered saline when he was admitted to the hospital. However, the doctor on duty, was not available thereafter,” Pradeep said to OTV.

Reported By: Siddhant