New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS): India's consul general in Melbourne Subhakanta Behera, 50, died Friday after a heart attack at his residence in the Australian city, leaving the Indian community there shocked.

The 1987-batch Indian Foreign Service officer is survived by wife Rajashree, son Ananya and daughter Amruta.

Behera's family want to cremate him in hometown Bhubaneswar in Odisha, said an official of the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA).

"The consulate will facilitate the family's return to India," the official said.

Behera, who had a doctorate from Oxford University, was appointed the Indian consul general to Melbourne in May last year.

In his career, Behera held key postings in Moscow, Washington and London, besides postings in Uzbekistan and Bulgaria. He had returned to New Dehli as MEA joint secretary.

Behera was also a writer -- having published stories, poetry anthologies, essay collections, a novel and two academic papers.