Suspected Maoist guerrillas gunned down a local Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader in West Bengal's trouble-torn West Midnapore district, police said on Saturday.
According to sources, the incident took place Friday night in Jhargram sub-division's Jitushol area in the district when a group of unidentified miscreants killed Karuna Mahato.
"Mahato was a CPI-M gram panchayat (village council) member in Shalboni region. The Maoist ultras called Mahato from his residence late Friday night and took him to a nearby forest."
"He was found dead this (Saturday) morning on National Highway-9 near Kalaboni forest region," a district police officer said.
Police also recovered a few Maoist posters from the spot which claimed Mahato was a police informer.
"Joint forces have reached the spot to recover the body from the highway. After a preliminary investigation, we think Mahato was shot dead from close distance," the police officer said.