Even as the body of slain BJD MLA Jagabandhu Majhi was consigned to flames, the police and Crime Branch sleuths were busy picking up the threads to try and track the assassins.
“The police are trying to ascertain if the reason behind the murder was political or personal rivalry. A probe into all theories is on as Maoists have not taken up the responsibility of the murder, which they generally do if they are involved,” said the sources.
According to eyewitnesses, the three bike-borne youths in their mid twenties came close to the dias, shot at PSO Pramod Kumar Patro from point blank range hitting him in the eye. As Patro dropped to the ground dead, the two fired at the BJD MLA at his ear. The other miscreant was waiting on a motor cycle in the approaching road close to the stage. Then the killers snatched the service revolver of Majhi’s security officer and fired at both of them for a second time. The Legislator and the PSO received two bullets each. During the firing, a local Rama Dash Gond was also hit. Many believe that the assailants might have tried to give a Maoist colour to the incident considering the proximity of the area to Chattisgarh. The MLA had created several enemies and opened several fronts. He wielded enormous power in the region, remarked the sources while speculating on different angles to the murder.
More recently, on March, 2010 a section of the Gond tribes was aggrieved over Majhi, in Raighar school headmaster Ghana Shyam Gond’s death under mysteries circumstances. The BJP and Congress leaders alleged than that Gonda had been killed by a group of BJD workers particularly the followers of the MLA. In addition Gonda Samaj belonging to the Scheduled Community submitted memorandum to the Chief Minister through the local administration against Jagabandhu Majhi. Congress leaders demanded a CI. probe into the murder.
However, Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik ordered Crime Branch investigation and the case is pending with the local court. His tiff with a Raipur-based trader was well known to locals but they insist that is an old story and part payments had been made. The MLA had been attacked twice before in 2004 and 2008.
Jagabandhu started his political career when he become the president of Pendrani College at Umerkote in 1998. He kept contact with tribals and strengthened his social and political position with them.
In 2000 Jagabandhu organised the Dalit Samaj movement against Bengali settlers in Nabarangpur district. He lunched the agitation for restoration of the lands of the tribals from Bengali settlers. The movement took a violent communal turn and nine persons were killed when the police opened fire on the agitating mob. The law and order situation for some time went out of the control. The land disputes related to ethnic issues appears to be the most likely cause of murder. In fact he had innumerable cases registered against him. He shot into prominence during the ethnic riots in Raighar and was subsequently roped in by the ruling BJD. The police were in search to nab Majhi who was hiding himself in the jungles.
In 2004, the Dalit Samaj won three Zilla Parishad seats from Raighar block and 10 Samiti members. Bhanumati Majhi, a close associate of the MLA became the chairperson of Raighar block. In 2004 when the BJD decided to grab the Zilla Parishad president post and secretly contacted Jagabandhu. The BJD gave assurance to him to withdraw the cases. Jagabandhu obtained anticipatory bail as assured by the Government and surrendered before the court at Umerkote. In 2004, he fought the Assembly elections as an Independent from Umerkote seat but lost. After 15 days before the elections, he was shot in the waist by assailants, which paralysed his legs making him wheel chair bound since then. Again in 2008, a bomb was hurled on his vehicle when he was on his way to Umerkote from Raighar. The bomb did not explode.
Locals recall how Majhi was inducted to the BJD amidst much fanfare in 2008 with CM Naveen Patnaik and top leaders. In 2009 he won the seat for the first time after being given a BJD ticket.
The State Government is now claming that the Maoist involvement is suspected in the killing of the MLA. Maoists generally come in a group to kill a person and leave Maoists literature and posters before they leave the incident place.
The Maoists have not claimed so far the killing of MLA Jagabandhu. It is known to every one that non-tribal leadership was behind the murderous attack on Majhi in 2004. Similar attack might have taken place on Majhi this time too.
Sources said that the investigators were trying to gather leads regarding the involvement of contract killers. Senior police officials those who are working under Nabarngapur district suspecting the people those who killed Jagabandhu are professional killers. This time people particularly tribals expect that the State Government will come out with truth and protect the land rights of the people of this district.
ADG (Crime Branch) Abhaya who was camping in Umerkote has returned back to Cuttack. Meanwhile, CB IG Susant Kumar Nath has taken over the investigation charge from Tuesday. The State police had rushed a scientific team to Umerkote, while another had already headed to Chhattisgarh in search of the bike-borne killers. However, no one was still sure if it was Maoist could be behind the killing or was it professional killers hired by someone.
IG Nath who was the SP of Nabarangpur during the Raighar incident in 2001 that witnessed violent clashes between the tribals and the Bangladeshi settlers reached Raighar on Monday and visited village Gona to take stock of the situation and interacted with his departmental officials. The Crime Branch which took the charge to investigate the incident has bad track record here, as it still failed to solve the case of 2004 where deceased MLA Majhi was attacked by two unidentified gunmen while attending a marriage ceremony at Raighar and in 2010 in the case of the missing school headmaster Ghana Shyam Gond a Headmaster of Birpur primary Seba Asrama under Raighar Block who was missing from his house later his dead body was recovered in Chhattisgarh forest under mysterious circumstances
In these two cases the Crime Branch even failed to file preliminary charge sheet within the statutory period in the court against the accused persons. By observing these two earlier issues there is an ambiguity that the investigating agency this time could solve the problem said an advocate of Umerkote Bar Association Prasant Sahu.
“Nothing can be said for sure at this moment. The police are yet to get any lead regarding the motive behind the crime and the people involved in it. The Crime Branch is investigating into all possible angles. I hope things will be clear within a day or two,” Nabarangpur Superintendent of Police Niti Sekhar said.
