Ranchi, Aug. 29: CPI(Maoist) guerrillas shot dead two members — one of them being an area commander — of its breakaway faction, Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), at Lawalong under Simaria police station in Chatra last night.

Four hours after the twin murders, TPC members killed the brother of a Maoist leader at Nachara village, about 60km from Lawalong, in what police suspect to be a case of revenge killing.

A 20-member squad of CPI(Maoist) swooped on the houses of TPC’s area commander Umaji (35), and Ramdeo Ganjhu, the younger brother of TPC sub-zonal commander Akramanji around 10pm. The duo were shot dead and their residences set ablaze.

Sources said the Maoists killed the duo as they wanted to establish their supremacy in the area. “Umaji and Ramdeo were caught unawares. They tried to put up a fight for an hour before falling prey to bullets. Their houses were also set on fire, but their family members were saved as they were away at the time of the attack,” Chatra superintendent of police (SP) Prabhat Kumar said.

In the other incident, Bilashit Khalkho (30), the younger brother of Maoist zonal commander Charlie Khalkho, was shot dead by TPC members at Nachara village under Balumath police station around 2am.

Officer-in-charge of Balumath police station Ravikant confirmed the incident, saying that TPC members had also set Khalkho’s house on fire. “A 25-member squad executed the operation in two hours,” he said.

It is being suspected that TPC members killed Khalkho to avenge the deaths of two of their members in Chatra.