BHUBANESWAR/NABARANGPUR: Investigators groped in the dark over the sensational murder of Umerkote MLA Jagabandhu Majhi even as no Naxal outfit claimed responsibility for the killing 24 hours after the incident.Although the State police had indicated the possible role of the Left Wing ultras, the modus operandi of the killers and the political background of the slain legislator confused the police. Was it the handiwork of the Maoists or were a bunch of contract killers behind the murder? Or was it any group settling the score? The police were finding it difficult to get a correct direction upfront in the case.The Red rebels, like they did in the Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati assassination, had not left any campaign materials at the crime spot in Gona village of Raighar block on Saturday to claim responsibility for the killing. Even after 24 hours, no outfit had made any claim which the Crime Branch was counting on."It may well happen that they would take responsibility __ if it is an operation by the Maoists __ only when their operatives have returned to safety after the murder," said an officer. But there was no information on any movement of Naxals because the State Police had alerted its Chhattisgarh counterpart immediately after the incident. Chhattisgarh border is barely 10 km from the scene of the crime.In fact, the modus operandi of the assailants has confused the police. It could be either an operation by Maoists or by contract killers.Besides, what added to the confusion was the political career of Majhi, who was not free from controversy. When he stood for the 2009 Assembly elections, his affidavit had mentioned 11 criminal cases against him between 2001 and 2006. After he was elected, controversy did not stop chasing him. Going by the local police, close to two dozen cases were pending against him. In fact, he was named in the FIR in the Ghanshyam Gond murder, but the Crime Branch is yet to submit the final chargesheet in the case.The stance he had taken in support of the tribals made him an enemy of many. He was attacked twice __ in 2004 and 2007. Police sources say that the controversymarred political career of Majhi was blurring their first step towards the investigation."Yesterday, the Naxal angle was prominent. Today too it is there, but more angles are cropping up," a senior police officer said.Additional DirectorGeneral of Police (Crime Branch) Abhay was camping in Umerkote while an IGranked officer will take over the ground level investigation from Monday. The State police had rushed a scientific team to Umerkote, while another was already headed to Chhattisgarh in search of the bikeborne killers.Chasing the Naxal angle, police had received information that a team from Manpur dalam from Chhattisgarh could be behind the killing. However, no one was sure if it was ideologybased or supari killing. And no one was willing to comment either.
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