Odishatv Bureau
Bhubaneswar: It was September 24, 2011. The BJD MLA of Umerkote, Jagabandhu Majhi, sitting on his wheel chair was distributing land patta to tribal beneficiaries at a function at Gonahatapada under Raighar police limits. Suddenly three unidentified youths who came on two motor-cycles started firing bullets at Jagabandhu. The MLA and his peronal security officer(PSO) were killed on the spot.

The alleged killers vanished into the thin air posing challenges for the state police. The immediate suspects were the ultras of the CPI(Maoist). The investigations were handed over to the state crime branch.

Who could be the killers? Were it the handiwork of the Maoists or political opponents of Jagabandhu? Was any supari paid to bump off Jagabandhu or it was executed by any crime syndicate?

The Director General of State Police, Manmohan Praharaj today revealed that the police had alreaqdy zeroed in on the killer of Jagabandhu Majhi and even claimed that the police had collected enough evidence to establish the alleged murderers. The DG however denied to disclose the identity of the killers saying it would hamper investigations.

Crime branch sources indicated that the killing was executed by the Mainpur division of the CPI(Maoist). The Maoists though had not left any poster on the spot on September 24, they had later owned responsibility for Jagabandhu`s killing. The alleged killers did not wear masks which has been the regular practice among the Maoists. It was a known thing that Jagabandhu was in the hit list of the left wing extremists.

The crime branch too had released sketch of the killer. After the sensational statement of the DG today it remains to be seen whether it is the same man whose sketch was released by the crime branch or someone entirely different? The guessing game might end soon.

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