An aspiring Home Guard died while participating in a long run during a recruitment drive in Boudh district on Tuesday afternoon. He was suspected to have suffered a heart attack.
Gurucharana Balia, a resident of Gundulia village, was among the applicants participating in physical tests for recruitment of Home Guards at the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) ground at Balasingha near Boudh town. Tuesday was the second day of the recruitment drive.
After running for few meters, Balia collapsed on the ground following, which officials rushed him to a Government hospital in an ambulance. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The death of the youth sparked tension in the area as locals alleged that the authorities tried to suppress the incident.
Meanwhile, the body was sent for postmortem to the District Headquarters Hospital.