Chhattisgarh BJP Leader Dragged From Home, Killed By Maoists Before Family

A Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, Neelkanth Kakkem was attacked and brutally hacked to death by Maoists, officials said.

Neelkanth Kakkem who was the BJP madal president of Usoor Block for the last 15 years was attacked with weapons while he had gone to attend a wedding at his ancestral village in Paikram on February 5, Chandrakant Gavarna, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ACP) said.

"It has been learnt that the armed cadres of the proscribed CPI (M) attacked Neelkanth with axes and other sharp weapons till he collapsed and died on the spot," the ACP said.

Lalita Kakkem, wife of Neelkanth Kakkem, said that three people forcibly took Neelkanth outside the house, and brutally hacked him in the presence of the family members and other villagers after which they fled from the spot.

"We received news that Maoists have killed a civilian in Paikram village under Awapalli police station limits, following which a police team immediately rushed to the spot and seized the video," the ACP said.

The ACP further added that according to information received over 150 armed Maoists had arrived in the village to carry out the attack, but only three reached the BJP leader's house and attacked him. The Maoists were in plain clothes.

Further investigation is underway, the police official said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)