Puri: A 45-year-old home guard deployed for Rath Yatra duty in Puri died under mysterious circumstances late Saturday night, with initial suspicion pointing to a possible snakebite. 

Post-mortem report awaited to determine cause of Home Guard's death

Police have launched an investigation, while the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination.

The deceased has been identified as Pradeep Kumar Mahanta, a resident of Hundapita village under Ghatgaon police limits in Kendujhar district. He was among a 50-member contingent of home guards from Kendujhar assigned to security duty during the annual Rath Yatra festival.

According to reports, Mahanta retired to bed around 10 p.m. with fellow personnel in a room at Satyabadi High School, where the home guards were being accommodated during their deployment.

In the middle of the night, he reportedly woke up and began vomiting. His colleagues noticed white froth coming out of his mouth and immediately rushed him to Sakhigopal Hospital. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The exact cause of Mahanta's death is yet to be established. While there is speculation that he may have suffered a snakebite, officials have not confirmed the claim.

After receiving information about the incident, Satyabadi Police reached the spot and initiated an investigation. The body has been sent to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Police said the actual cause of death will be known only after the autopsy report is received.

The incident has cast a shadow over the Rath Yatra security arrangements, with fellow home guards expressing shock over the sudden loss of their colleague, who had travelled to Puri to perform duty during one of Odisha's biggest religious festivals.