india

Updated: Jul 21, 2019 23:38 IST

A contractor who was building a road in the interiors of Maoist-affected Kalahandi district was shot dead by two suspected Maoists in a local market on Sunday.

Kalahandi Superintendent of Police B Gangadhar said Rajendra Sahoo, a civil contractor of Pahadpadar village under Lanjigarh block was buying provisions in the weekly market in Malipada when two people came up to him and fired four rounds at him. “Before anyone could realise anything Sahoo died on the spot. The miscreants fled soon after. Sahoo had earlier faced attacks from Maoists when they burnt down his excavator and tractor in 2017 over building of a road,” the SP said.

The police said a few Maoist posters claiming their role in the murder were found in the weekly market.

Sahoo’s wife Shantilata is a Naib Sarpanch of Pahadapadar gram panchayat. She has lodged a complaint with the Bijepur police station against suspected Maoists.

In 2017, Sahoo had come under attack from Maoists when he attempted to build the road between Borpadar and Jugasaipatna villages that was being opposed by the Maoists. Though he managed to flee, the rebels had burnt down his road construction machinery as well as his bike. Since then he had moved his base to Bhawanipatna town of Kalahandi.

In February 2018, Maoists had shot dead contractor Siba Shankar Das in Lanjigarh block after he started construction of the Bijepur-Pajibahali road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

A recent review meeting of Maoist-affected areas by the state’s unified command found that despite a decline in incidences of Maoist violence, the situation in Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Malkangiri remained an area of concern after senior Maoist commander Basavraj took over the reins of CPI(Maoist) from Ganapathi.