Suspected Maoists Thursday shot dead Man Bahadur Pariyar at a forest near Dharan despite a cease-fire between the government and rebels to negotiate a peace, police said.

Pariyar eked out a living by selling firewood. Rebels mauled  Harka Bahadur K.C. village chief of Bilaspur in Kanchanpur district Thursday night, police said. A group of about 50 insurgents dragged K.C. our of his home and severely beat him up.

He was a member of a vigilante group to protest Maoist excesses. One of three rebels severely injured  rebels extorting money from teachers at Tithiriya village in Banke Wednesday has died, local officials said.

The date for the third round of peace talks between the government and rebels has not been fixed as yet although speculation is that it will be held next week somewhere in Kathmandu Valley.