Maoists kill contractor in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, July 11 (IANS) The Maoists Wednesday killed a tribal contractor in Odisha's Bolangir district, police said. It was the third killing by the rebels this week.

According to police, a group of armed rebels dragged Sashi Bhoi, 35, from his home at Sanagurji village, about 360 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, and tied him to a pole. After mercilessly beating him up, they killed him with their knife-shaped bayonets.

The victim's father worked as the chairman of the local block and belonged to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Superintendent of Police R. Prakash told IANS.

Bhoi was doing some construction work in the neighbouring Nuapada district. He stayed away from his village as the rebels had threatened to kill him for not paying them money, he added.

Two separate groups of rebels earlier killed a BJD worker in Sundergarh district Sunday and a former village council member in the Malkangiri district Saturday.

The Maoists are active in more than half of the state's 30 districts.