Odisha: CM Naveen Patnaik announces ex-gratia of Rs 13 lakh to family of journalist killed in IED blast
Naveen Patnaik | File photo
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday evening announced Rs 13 lakh compensation to the family of journalist Rohit Kumar Biswal, who was killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in Kalahandi district earlier today, reported news agency ANI.
The IED went off when Biswal reached near a tree where a couple of posters and a banner were put up by Maoists asking people to boycott the five-phase panchayat polls beginning later this month.
"Whenever such posters are seen, the police have an SOP (standard operating procedure) to deal with the situation as there is a possibility that IEDs have been planted there targeting security forces. Our team was alerted but before we reached the spot, the unfortunate incident happened," Kalahandi district SP Dr Vivek M said.
The 46-year-old reporter reached near the tree before police personnel searched the area with a metal detector for planted IEDs and died on the spot after the explosion, he said.
The posters were pasted on the tree while the banner was hung close to it near Domkarlakhunta village and close to a bridge in Madanpur Rampur block. The police found no more IEDs on the spot.
The slain journalist is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
(With PTI inputs)
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