Maoists gunned down a tribal special police officer(SPO) in Odisha's Malkangiri district after he did not heed to their threat to quit his job, police said today.
A group of about 20 armed ultras attacked the house of Kanhu Charan Madhi(25) at Kattakonda village at Kalimela area around mid-night last night and shot him dead.
Inspector in-charge of Kalimela police station S K Nayak said the Maoists, who had first returned as they did not find Madhi at his house, came back a little later and shot down the SPO who was sleeping on the verandah.
The victim, who was posted in the district headquarter here had been in the target list of the Maoists for quite some time. The red rebels had asked him to quit the SPO's job and leave the village, the police said.
Madhi had been posted in Malkangiri in view of the threat. He had, however, taken leave and gone to his village to meet his family members and wife who had delivered a baby a few of days ago, the police said.
Combing by security forces in the area was intensified after the incident.
