Maoists kill country liquor trader in Odisha

BOLANGIR (ODISHA): Maoists killed a country liquor trader on the suspicion of him being a police informer at a village in Odisha's Bolangir district, police said today.

Around 30 armed ultras stormed into the house of Murali Meher (55) at Rengali village under Khaprakhol police station area late last night and asked other family members to move out, they said.

The red rebels, who had earlier asked Meher to stop running his liquor business in the area, pounced on him with sharp weapons before gunning Meher down, police said.

A poster left by the Naxals at the spot stated that Meher was killed as they suspected him to have been passing on information about Maoist activities to the police, they said.

The ultras also threatened in the letter that anyone working as police informer would meet similar fate.

Combing operation and patrolling by security forces had been stepped up in the area following the incident, sources said.