The Maoists further searched other vehicles and found one police sub inspector Ajit Kumar Bardhan who was returning in a vehicle with three others after attending a court duty nearby. They kidnapped the sub inspector, Patnaik said.

Soon after the van was looted, the CRPF along with police launched a combing operation in the area during which one trooper was hurt in a landmine explosion. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital, he said.

Further combing in the area led to the recovery of the dead body of the kidnapped sub inspector in the nearby area, he said.

The steel city of Rourkela is located about 500 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.