Suspected ultras of People's liberation Front of India (PlFI) shot dead a 19-year-old youth at his house in Heserbera village under the Naxal-infested Manoharpur police station area of Saranda in West Singhbhum district in the wee hours on Saturday.
The victim was identified as David lugun. The victim, who used to help his family by carrying out cultivation work in the field.
Sources said that at about 2 amtoday, three-bike borne assailants arrived at the house of David. The assailants knocked at the victim's door. The trio had asked David for his elder brother, but when he said that he was not at home, the assailants took him along.
Sources said having taken David for a little distance away from the house, one of the three fired two shots, killing the victim.They said the police recovered the body on getting the information from the villagers and sent it to the Chaibasa Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem.
West Singhbhum district superintendent of police, Michael Raj confirmed about the murder. "From the initial investigation, it appears that the murder was committed by the PlFI activists who are active in Saranda's Manoharpur areas. We have intensified raids and mounted anti-insurgency operation in and around Saranda, especially at Manoharpur jungle," said Michael.
The superintendent of police said they have started a combing operation in Manoharpur in search of those responsible for the murder, but as of now no clue to the assailants could be known.