Maoists kill businessman in Kandhamal district

Phulbani : Maoists have killed a businessman at a village in Odisha's Kandhamal district suspecting him to be a police informer, a police official said on Sunday.

A group of armed ultras stormed Tingarpanga village and barged into the house of the businessman, Kailash Digal, late on Saturday night, Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh said.

They dragged Digal out of his house at gunpoint and took him to the village outskirts.

"He was then shot dead," the SP said.

Digal's body was spotted on Sunday morning by the villagers, who informed the police.

A note left behind by the Maoists near the spot, where the body was found, claimed that the businessman was eliminated as he was working as a police informer.

The assailants were suspected to be members of Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), the police said.

Combing operation has been intensified in the area.