Unlike the usual murder executions by trained Maoist squads, the duo was hacked to death, which has led security forces to believe that local semi-trained militia may have carried out the operation.

“The Maoist execution style is a bullet implanted in the head after tying up the victim. This time, however, the duo was brutally hacked to death. This points to the involvement of local semi-trained militia and committee members,” said a senior police officer.

Maoist posters accusing the duo of being traitors and police informers were found adjacent to the bodies. “We have sent the bodies for post mortem. Combing operations are on in the nearby forest areas,” said Manoj Verma, Superintendent of Police, West Midnapore.

The People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), meanwhile, continued their strike on Sunday demanding the release of Raju Adak and Joyram Bera — their members who went missing after reportedly being picked by police for interrogation. “We will continue our strike till the whereabouts of the two youths are known,” said PCAPA spokesperson Asit Mahato.

The CPM also took out a motorbike rally in the Salboni area to protest against the rampant killings of its partymen in the Maoist-dominated areas. “Each day our supporters and local leaders are being killed in the Jhargram-Lalgarh area despite the presence of joint forces. We will continue fighting them politically. More such motorbike rallies will be organised,” said Dipak Sarkar, CPM district committee secretary of West Midnapore.

Maoists set fire to Jhargram deer park