Maoist body claims responsibility for attack
The Peoples’ Liberation Front of India (PLFI) claimed responsibility for the killing of Maoist-turned-BJP leader Manoj Nagesiya on Monday.
Police, however, have decided to continue interrogating villagers suspecting that the PLFI’s claim might be a faux pass to save the actual culprits.
Nagesiya, who was shot dead late on Friday late night at a function in Lachragarh village under Kolebira police station of Simdega district, had contested the 2014 assembly elections from Kolebira constituency with a BJP ticket. He had quit the outlawed red outfit and joined the BJP before the elections in 2014.
PLFI area commander Vijay Tiger had called up a select group of local reporters in Simdega on Sunday and informed that he killed Nagesiya as he was a police informer and had threatened to kill a PLFI area commander.
PLFI is one of the 17 splinter groups other than the main CPI Maoists functioning in the state.
Simdega superintendent of police Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Monday told HT that the police were not relying on the claims of the PLFI and investigating possible involvement of other political and non-political groups or persons in the murder.
“We are interrogating villagers as the police cannot rely on the PLFI’s claims alone. However, the involvement of PLFI in the killing cannot be denied outright,” he said.
Police also suspect a possible involvement of CPI(Maoists) or political rivals in the murder.
The Maoists may have executed the killing as Nagesiya left the organisation and joined the mainstream, which was a setback for the rebel group, they said.
“Earlier also we have seen cases wherein a rebel outfit claimed onus for a murder and its claim was found to be false,” Singh said. Nagesiya was shot from point-blank range with a country-made pistol when he had gone to a tent to have dinner in the middle of the function.
The police are interrogating the organisers of the event but none have been detained yet in connection with the case. “We cannot arrest innocent villagers without any concrete evidence. This is for sure that whoever killed him knew about all the arrangements at the ceremony,” said Simdega SP Singh.
Inspector general and deputy inspector general rank officials inspected the crime site on Sunday and questioned local villagers. Chief minister Raghubar Das has asked Jharkhand director general of police DK Pandey to ensure speedy investigation in the case.
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