Bhubaneswar : A member of the Maoist People s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) group was gunned down by police in Odisha Monday, a day after a ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) worker was allegedly killed by the group, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, a special police squad raided the PLFI hideout at Sundergarh district s Udugaon village, about 500 km from the steel city of Rourkela, Deputy Inspector General of Police Jaswant Singh Jethwa told reporters. The police retaliated when the gang members opened fire at them. While one PLFI member was killed, four others of the group, including their leader, Dilip Singh, were injured, Jethwa said. The injured extremists have been admitted to a hospital.

A group member has been detained for interrogation, he said. Police have recovered several weapons, including an AK-47, one self-loading rifle and pistol and about 126 bullets. PLFI is a Maoist group active on the bordering area of Odisha and Jharkhand.

The group had claimed responsibility for the killing a BJD worker in the region a day ago. Hardeep Singh, 43, was kidnapped by the PLIF members Saturday evening when he was on way home from a road construction site. His bullet riddled body was found a day later near Bileigarh village in the same district. The PLIF is responsible for a series of crimes in the region, including extortion and murder, in the region, Jethwa added.