Balangir, July 11: Barely a week after members of People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) gunned down Rajgangpur block chairman Hardeep Singh, the rebels on Tuesday night barged into the house of Khaprakhole block chairman Ganeshram Bhoi at San Gunjibhata of Balangir and killed his son Sashiram.

About 30 armed Maoists forcefully entered the house, dragged Sashiram, 30, from his room and tied him to a pole. They beat him up severely and then killed him with the bayonets of their guns.

The Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund division committee of the CPI (Maoist) left a handwritten poster at the spot claiming responsibility of the killing of Sashiram. They said Sashiram was exploiting the people of the area and using the name of the Maoists.

Police, however, said the rebels targeted Sashiram, who was a contractor, as he refused to pay extortion money.

Sashiram’s father Ganeshram said around 30 armed Maoists came to his house last night to look for Sashiram.

“They looked for Sashiram in the house, but returned, as they could not find him. They returned after some time, forcibly entered the house and found Sashiram. They tied him to a pole and beat him up with sticks and guns. Later, they stabbed him to death with bayonets,” Bhoi said.

Sources said though he belonged to the BJD, Ganeshram had won the election of block chairman post by posing as a Maoist sympathiser. In the poster left at the spot, the extremists levelled several charges against Sashiram to justify the killing.

“Sashiram’s father had won the block chairman election by posing as a Maoist sympathiser. But after his father won the elections, Sashiram’s stance changed and instead of working for the poor people he started exploiting them by misusing the name of the Maoists. He extorted money in the name of the Maoists. He also sexually abused women of the area and grabbed the land of several people. He had also built a gang of goons to carry out illegal activities. Moreover, he had become a police informer,” the poster read.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of Balangir R Prakash, however, said the rebels killed Sashiram as he refused to be extorted by the Maoists. “The incident took place around one last night. Sashiram was entrusted with some roadwork in the neighbouring Nuapada district. The extremists had allegedly asked Sashiram for money, but he did not respond. The Maoists had also asked him to attend their meeting, which Sashiram avoided. These may be the reasons behind his killing,” Prakash said. This is the third incident in less than one year that Maoists killed a civilian in Balangir. Last November, they had killed one Krushna Chandra Punji, a ward member of Khuripani village. In August last year, the rebels had killed senior BJD leader Raj Kishor Panda of Khaprakhole.