Maoists kill former tribal ward member in Odisha

"A group of armed ultras struck at the house of Pidika Sarbo at Gumaroput village late last night and took him away," Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Y J Rao said.

The rebels slit the throat of Pidika, a former panchayat ward member, and dumped his body on the outskirts of the village before disappearing into dense forest, he said, adding the body was later found by villagers.

Pidika, aged around 55 years, was killed as the Naxals suspected that he had been passing on information about the activities of Maoists in the region to the police, sources said.