Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, CM Patnaik pay last respect to Naba Das

Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other dignitaries from different walks of life on Monday paid their tributes to deceased minister Naba Kishore Das, who was gunned down allegedly by a policeman at Brajrajnagar town in Jharsuguda district.

The chief minister, who had on Sunday visited the hospital twice during hospitalization and after Das's death, on Monday morning again visited the minister's official residence where his mortal remains were kept.

Both the governor and CM also met the family members of Das and expressed their condolences.

Many ministers, MPs, MLAs, former lawmakers, BJP state president Samir Mohanty and Congress leaders also visited Das's official residence. The state government also accorded Guard of Honour to the departed minister.

Later, the minister's body was taken to the BJD party office where hundreds of people made a beeline to pay their last respect to Das. His body would be flown to his native place in Jharsuguda where the final rites would be conducted with full state honour, said BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra.

The state government on Sunday evening had announced three-day mourning across Odisha as a mark of respect to the departed minister. There will be no official entertainment for three days from January 29-31 throughout the state, a notification said.

"It has been decided by the Government of Odisha that as a mark of respect, state honour would be accorded to the departed dignitary. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of death in the state capital and on the day of funeral at the place where it takes place," the release said.

The minister, 60, was shot at Brajrajnagar town around 1 pm on Sunday allegedly by Assistant Sub-inspector of Police (ASI) Gopal Das, who is believed to be suffering from mental disorder.

A team of doctors at Apollo Hospital operated on him after he was airlifted from Jharsugada to Bhubaneshwar, but he eventually succumbed to injuries.