Two shot dead by suspected Maoists in Odisha village

Miscreants suspectedto be Maoists gunned down two persons, including the son of alocal sarpanch, reckoning them to be police informers, inOdisha's Kandhamal district, officials said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday night at Guchhagudavillage under the Bhandarangi gram panchayat area.

Around 20 assailants barged into the residence ofsarpanch of the gram panchayat, Droupadi Patra, dragged herson Bhawani Shankar out of the house and physically assaultedhim, police said.

Later, his bullet-ridden body was found near thevillage.

The miscreants also shot dead a person named HemantPatra of the same village, SDPO of Balliguda, Monoj KumarPujari, told reporters.

The gunmen could be members of the Bansadhara-Ghumsar-Nagabali Division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).

Five members of the outfit were killed in an encounterin September last year.

The assailants also left a handwritten poster,accusing the two of providing information to police aboutMaoists.

In the poster, they also warned other ''informers'' tosurrender within 15 days or face the same fate.

''Odisha DGP Abhay and IG (Intelligence), R K Sharma,will be held responsible for the loss of lives,'' they said inthe poster.