RAYAGADA: Suspected Maoists killed a contractor in Sikarpai village here on Tuesday. Gopal Chetty Gandhi (48), also a Congress worker and panchayat samiti member, took three gun shots on his chest. The ultras, belonging to the Basadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali Division of the outfit, then used knives to stab him. Sources said Chetty reached the petrol pump owned by him at 6 am and was waiting for a staffer when a group of five armed ultras attacked him.
Before Chetty could realise anything, one among them fired three rounds at him. When he fell down, the Maoists stabbed him. Following the attack, they raised slogans in favour of the CPI(Maoist) and fled from the spot.
A note found near his body said, “You swallowed money of tribals. So we killed you.” It was written by one Umakant, secretary of the divisional committee, police said. The note also stated that the decision to kill Chetty was taken in a kangaroo court. Police recovered three cartridges from the spot. Combing operation has been launched in the area to track down the killers.
Chetty, who was also a lawyer, was in the hit-list of the Maoists. The note warned that whoever is found exploiting the public or supporting multi-national companies would meet the same fate.