Naxalites on Sunday shot dead general secretary of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Lok Sabha member of Parliament Sunil Mahato in an attack that also killed two of his bodyguards and a party colleague during a football match organised to mark Holi at a place about 40 km from Jamshedpur.

Jharkhand Home Secretary Sudhir Tripathi said in Ranchi that a group of Maoists opened fire from close at 38-year-old Mahato, who represented Jamshedpur constituency and was the chief guest at the match in Bakuria, East Singhbhum district.

The lawmaker was killed on the spot, he added.

Seven bullets were pumped into the body of Mahato, East Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Pankaj Darad said

He said the attack also left two of the lawmaker's bodyguards and Ghatsila block secretary of JMM Prabhakar Mahato dead.

Raju Giri, general secretary of JMM's central committee, said two other bodyguards of the MP had been taken away by the Naxalites.

Eyewitnesses said 15 ultras, armed with sophisticated weapons, shot at Mahato and his bodyguards while he was watching the football match.

A commotion broke out after the firing and the ultras escaped taking advantage of that.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee expressed shock at the killing of Mahato and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.