Ahead of a three-day shutdown called by tribals in Jungle Mahal, suspected Maoists on Saturday night gunned down a CPI-M zonal committee member and a grocery shop owner associated with CPI-M party at Jhargram and Goaltore respectively in West Midnapore district.

The police said CPI-M leader Jaladhar Mahato (50) was shot dead by armed Maoists while returning home in Jhargram on a motorcycle from Adarisole.

He died on the spot when the attackers stopped his motorcycle at Brindapur jungle and shot him from close range, the police said.

In a separate incident at Goaltore near Lalgarh, Maoists killed Ashok Ghosh (40), a grocery shopowner closely associated with CPI-M party at about 8.30 pm (IST).

Eyewitness told the police that four armed Maoists dragged Ghosh out of his shop in the marketplace and shot five bullets in his head and abdomen.

The attackers fled into the nearby jungles immediately after attacking him as the incident happened within a kilometer of Goaltore police station.

District Magistrate Narayan Swarup Nigam told PTI that Ghosh died on the spot and the police have launched a manhunt for the attackers.

Goaltore was recently "cleared" of Maoists by CRPF and state armed police. Sources said the roads have been secured from the attack of Maoists but large areas in the jungle remains to be sanitised.