A group of armed Maoists swooped down on the home of Naik at Tentuligumma late last night and asked him to follow them. Villagers spotted the bullet-riddled body of Naik lying in a pool of blood at a distance of about two kilometres from the village this morning, sources added.
"The Maoists have fired two rounds at him and the reason behind the killing is under investigation," said SDPO Jeypore Utkal Ranjan Das. However, a Maoist letter recovered from the crime spot alleged that Naik was working as a police informer. "The deceased was neither our informer nor we have ever received any information from him. Reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained," the SDPO said.
Meanwhile, security personnel removed the road blockades put up by Maoists between Narayanpatna-Bandhugaon on Thursday. "The rebels during the observation of their two-day bandh call on April 20 and 21 had blocked the road by felling roadside trees to obstruct traffic. Our road sensitisation work is on to ascertain whether the rebels have planted any mines on the road," said SDPO, Laxmipur, Y Jagannath Rao.