CPI-M leader gunned down by Maoists

Suri (WB) (PTI): A local CPI-M leader was gunned down by Maoists at Tantipara village in Birbhum district on Tuesday morning.

Sridhar Das, 48, was on his way to a primary school, where he was a teacher, on his cycle at around 6.30 am when he was sprayed with bullets by three motorcycle-borne men, district Superintendent of Police L N Meena said.

He had seven bullet marks on his head, he said adding Maoist posters were found near the body.

"Prima facie it is a case of killing by the outlawed group," Meena told PTI.

Das was an influential member of the CPI-M's local committee of Rajnagar, 14 km from the district headquarter town of Birbhum district and had been threatened by Maoists in the past.

Following the killing police began frisking riders of two wheelers to apprehend the killers.

This is the second instance of killing of a local-level CPI-M leaders by Maoists in the past four days in the state.

Khetrapal Kumar Majhi, a member of CPI(M)'s Arsha local committee in Purulia district was shot dead by Maoists while he was holding a meeting in a house for the May panchayat polls.

He too had been in the hit list of the Maoists who had warned him to quit the party.