Kanker (Chhattisgarh), August 1 (IANS): Chhattisgarh Forests Minister Vikram Usendi's cousin Sumat Usendi was abducted from his village home and hacked to death by Maoists in Kanker district, police said Thursday.

The incident took place early Thursday and has sparked tension in the entire Kanker district, around 120 km from state capital Raipur, and part of the sprawling Bastar region.

Kanker's Superintendent of Police R.N. Das said around 15-20 Maoist insurgents attacked Sumat's house in forested Sulangi village of Bhanupratappur block past midnight while he was asleep.

"After encircling the house, they entered Sumat's room and after waking him up, took him some distance away from the house. They first shot at Sumat and thereafter severed his neck with some sharp-edged weapon. At the spot of murder the guerrillas also left some pamphlets in which they accused Sumat of providing information about the Maoists to the police," he added.