A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was kidnapped and killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. The incident happened on Tuesday (June 18) evening.
"Santosh Punem a resident of Marimalla who also worked as a contractor was abducted from his construction site in Marimalla village on Tuesday late evening," Suderaj P, DIG (anti-Naxal operations), was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
"The incident spot is about 15km away from the police station, deep in the jungles and we have sent a police party. We will be able to share remaining details once police party returns," the DIG said.
After Punem was kidnapped, his family pleaded with the Maoists to return him but in vain. Reports state that Punem, who also works as a contractor, was under the Maoists' radar for quite a while before his kidnapping and subsequent death.
Punem had contested for the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh last year and lost. He had again contested in the recent Lok Sabha elections. He was the vice-president of SP in Chhattisgarh's Bastar.
