Son of noted writers Arya Yajnadata and Gayatree Arya, and grandson of Binjharpur’s first MLA Bira Kishore Behera, Punyashloka had done engineering after his school education at the Braja Sundar High School. He had first joined at Chandipur DRDO centre. Later, he was transferred to the DRDO Centre, Bengaluru in Karnataka.
A few days back, he had tested positive for Covid 19 and was undergoing treatment at a hospital. He succumbed to the virus this morning. A pall of gloom has descended in the area following the news of his death spread.