Health Minister In India Is Shot Dead By A Cop Who Was Having A Mental Crisis

Odisha health and family welfare minister Naba Das was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector of police in Jharsuguda district on Sunday, police officers aware of the details said, adding the accused has been arrested and is being questioned.

Odisha health and family welfare minister and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naba Das was shot dead by an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police in Jharsuguda district on Sunday, police officers aware of the details said, adding the accused has been arrested and is being questioned.

While the motive behind the attack is yet to be ascertained, the accused’s kin said he was undergoing treatment for mental health problems and was under stress over not being granted leave.

Police said the 59-year-old minister was on his way to attend a meeting in the industrial town of Brajarajnagar when he stopped at Gandhi Chhak at around 12.30pm to inaugurate two new office buildings of the chairman and vice-chairman of the Brajrajnagar municipality.

As Naba Das was getting down from the vehicle, ASI Gopal Das, who was deployed at the spot for law and order arrangements, pushed his way through the people present and fired at him using his service revolver. The minister was initially rushed to a local hospital and then airlifted to Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar where he succumbed to injuries later in the day, police said.