The Pioneer, Bhubaneswar, dated: 17.10.2011
The mystery over the sensational murder of Umerkote MLA Jagabandhu Majhi has further deepened after the statement of Maoist ideologue Dandapani Mohanty said that the Maoists have no role in the killing of the MLA and his PSO.
The relatives of the late MLA alleged that the Crime Branch (CB) is trying to close the file by giving a shape of Maoist role, even after lapse of number of days, the CB has failed to identify the accused involved in the murder, they alleged.
Majhi was attacked twice before the incident and in every case the police had failed to identify the culprits. As the pressure is mounting on the CB, now the investigating agency is trying to give a Maoist involvement to cover up the incident, alleged Jyanti the sister of Jagabandhu. A close associate of the slain MLA, Subash Gond said the newspaper report is a self-directed drama by Majhi’s political rivals, who are trying to spread fictitious things against the erstwhile popular leader keeping in view the forthcoming by-election.
He further alleged that a local reporter of a vernacular newspaper is an active member of the Opposition party and three criminal cases of extortion and cheating are pending against him in the local court. It is beyond imagination that the reporter who is having such a bad reputation was called by the Maoist to take their interview, he said.
He further said they would file an FIR against the reporter, as the news report tarnished the image of their popular leader who always fought for the rights of the tribals.
The mother of the slain MLA Gouri Bai said “her son was the victim of political rivalry.Getting information from some reliable source my son was given a written report to the Inspector-in- Charge of Raighar police station specifying the names of some of political persons who were conspiring to kill him.However, to the utter dismay, the police have now refuted any such report made to them, she rued. She further said they have no faith on the investigation by the CB and Nabarangpur police.
