2 Home Guard Job Aspirants Die During Physical Tests In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Tragedy struck during a Home Guard recruitment drive in Odisha, as one candidate lost his life and seven others were hospitalised while undergoing physical tests at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district on Thursday.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred during a running test on a 2-kilometre stretch between Ranipenth and Padmapur. "Five of us from our village participated in the physical test. After the women’s round was over, the male aspirants began their run. He was just 30 seconds away from finishing when he collapsed," a relative of the deceased said.

An ambulance was immediately summoned, and the candidate was rushed to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) at Paralakhemundi. However, doctors declared him dead upon arrival.

The deceased was identified as Sulant Mishal of Parisal village under Ramgiri police station limits. Medical officials confirmed that while Sulant succumbed to his condition, the other seven injured candidates were undergoing treatment, with their condition reported as serious.

In a similar heartbreaking incident, another Home Guard aspirant, Dipak Padalu, collapsed during a recruitment test at Narayanpatna in Koraput district.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed profound grief over the tragedies and announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased candidates.