Indian Health Minister Dies from Police Gunshot

The health and family welfare minister of India's eastern Odisha state, Naba Kishore Das, has died from gunshot wounds inflicted by a police officer.

According to doctors, the bullet hit the minister's heart and caused internal bleeding. "Efforts were made to improve heart function as both the heart and left lung were damaged, but despite all efforts, he could not be revived; he succumbed to his injuries," the hospital's statement said.

The minister was shot by a police officer named Gopa Das in the town of Brajrajnagar in western Odisha while he stepped out of his vehicle to greet supporters, reported Tass.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences regarding Das's death. The police disclosed that the shots were fired from very close range around 12:10 PM local time.

No details have been provided by police regarding the motives for the shooting.

Naba Das had been involved in politics since 2009 and was one of the wealthiest political figures in Odisha.