Suspected Maoists set ablaze a youth after tying him to a tree with an iron chain in Orissa's Angul district, an official said Saturday.

The incident occurred in Nuasahi village, located in the middle of a forest, some 200 km from here Friday night, Additional District Magistrate Bandhu Billor told IANS on phone.

'We suspect it may be the handiwork of Maoists. The police are investigating the matter,' Billor said.

He said the villagers heard a blast and rushed to the spot to see the youth in flames, tied to a tree with a chain.

The identity of the youth, apparently in his late 20s, was not known.

The village is near the border of Nayagarh district where Maoist rebels last month shot dead 14 policemen in multiple attacks on police stations and a government armoury.