Malkangiri: Village head shot dead by Maoists

A village head was gunned down by Maoists at a remote village in Odisha's Malkangiri district.

A group of heavily armed ultras called Ishwar Chandra Sodi, village head in Padia area, out of his house and shot him dead on Monday evening in Kota Materu village, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh said.

Though the exact reason behind the killing was yet to be ascertained, the red rebels apparently eliminated the village head as they suspected him to be functioning as an informer for the police, they said.

Police force had been sent to the remote forest area, about 40 km from Malkangiri, and investigation was in progress, police said.

The killing came shortly after nine Maoists surrendered before the police in the Naxal-affected district.