Forest guard shot dead by Maoists at Bheden

BHUBANESWAR/SAMBALPUR: Suspected Left-wing extremists gunned down a 29-year-old forest guard at Bheden in Bargarh district in cold blood on Sunday night. The murder triggered angry reactions from the field staff of the Forest department, who demanded appropriate compensation for the family.Narayan Duan, posted at Jaipur beat under Padampur reserve forest, was asked by the Maoists to step out of the house on Sunday. He was taken to the outskirts of the village, where he was shot dead.Narayan is survived by his wife and a two- year-old daughter. Shocked by the gruesome killing, the forest field staff expressed concern and urged the State Government to sanction an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the slain guard. “His two-year-old daughter must be in care of the Government till she grows up,” Orissa Non-Gazetted Forest Services Association general secretary J B Patnaik said. The association also sought a job for a kin of Narayan on compassionate grounds.The incident occurred at about 7 pm on Sunday when Narayan was taken to one end of the village where he was tied up before being shot. However, till 3 pm on Monday, police did reach the crime spot to take custody of the body, which angered the locals.However, later, reports said his body was shifted to Padampur Sub-Division Hospital for autopsy. The reason behind the murder was not clear, police said.