Extreme heat claims aspirant’s life during Home Guard physical test in Odisha

Bhubaneswar. March 27: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday expressed deep grief over the death of a Home Guard aspirant during a physical test in Deogarh district and announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for his family.

The deceased, Saheba Dehury (19), a resident of Budido village in Reamal block, collapsed while running during the physical examination conducted at Deogarh Reserve Police Station around 3 PM on Wednesday. On-duty police personnel immediately rushed him to Deogarh District Headquarters Hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Saheba’s father, Pradeep Kumar Dehury, claimed that his son fainted due to extreme heat and exhaustion during the test. The recruitment drive aimed to fill 60 Home Guard posts in the district.

This is not the first such incident. Earlier this month, two candidates lost their lives after completing a 25-km walk, a part of the recruitment test for forest guards, foresters, and livestock inspectors conducted by the Odisha Sub-Ordinate Staff Selection Commission (OSSSC) in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts. The deaths have raised concerns about harsh testing conditions during recruitment drives.