Motihari, Sept. 14: Maoists gunned down an Ayurvedic doctor near Sheikhpurwa market under the Pakridayal police station area late last night.

According to reports, nearly 12 members of the banned outfit raided the doctor’s clinic around 11pm when he was sleeping. They dragged him to a nearby paddy field and shot him at point-blank range.

The victim, Rajesh Kumar, had enjoyed the company of the rebels and had been their confidante for a long time. He had also been the Naxalites’ attending doctor for several years, said the superintendent of police in-charge of East Champaran, Nishant Kumar Tewari. The officer suspected the murder was the fallout of some friction between the rebels and the doctor.

A resident of Ajgari village under the same police station, Rajesh had been practising at Sheikhpurwa market for the past six years. Station house officer of Pakridayal police station, Vinay Kumar, confirmed the murder of Rajesh.