Berhampur: A strike called by Maoists affected daily life in six south Odisha districts - Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Gajapati and Ganjam - on Saturday.

The rebels had called the strike, demanding action against the gang-rape of a minor girl at Kunduli and also a solution to the Mahanadi water sharing between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali division of the CPI (Maoist) had called the strike.

Vehicular traffic came to halt during the 12-hour strike in these districts. Schools and colleges also remained closed for the day and government buses remained off the roads.

Vehicular movement in Boudh district was also affected. The BSF, CRPF, SOG and the police were deployed in sensitive places.

The Maoists reportedly gunned down Mohan Majhi of Lahidi village bordering Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as the father of Jahan Majhi, an auto-rickshaw driver who had died of gunshot wounds during an anti-Maoist operation at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal last year.

Villagers said a group of armed rebels came to the village around 1am and dragged Mohan away before killing him on Saturday morning. They have also allegedly abducted a woman suspecting her to be a police informer from Lahidi.

The Maoists blocked the NH-59 by placing tree logs near Tagada bridge, Baliguda and Tumudibandh. They also put up banners at several places.

Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists has denied the involvement of its cadres in the incident. "Naxalites are being falsely implicated in the case, and no cadre is behind such incident," said Jagabandhu, a member of the committee.

Umakant, secretary of the Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali division of the CPI (Maoist), also compared the BJD's Mahanadi movement to that of shedding crocodile tears.