Tribal MLA shot in Orissa,police probe Maoist hand

“The youths first shot Patra in his jaw from a revolver and then snatched his service revolver. Seconds later they fired from behind at Majhi’s head and from the front killing him instantly. A third person is reported to be injured,” said DIG (South-Western Range) Soumendra Priyadarshi.

Majhi was incidentally bound to a wheelchair after suffering debilitating injuries in the lower half of his body in an attack in 2004. Calling the killing “savage”,Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a CID-CB probe.

Priyadarshi said they were yet to confirm whether Maoists were involved. “What we have heard from locals is that the youths could be Maoists. However we are still verifying.” There has been no statement from Maoists on the attack.

Police are also looking into personal enmity as being a reason for the murders. Majhi was accused in the murder of a schoolteacher in Nawarangpur six-seven months ago.

Nawarangpur MP and Congress leader Pradip Majhi said: “He was attacked in the past. The police never increased his security. We knew such a thing was waiting to happen.” However,he added,it was difficult to believe Maoists were behind the crime.

Majhi had shot to fame in 2001 when he had led a tribal protest against “encroachment” of their lands by Bangladeshi settlers. Two tribals had been shot dead by police while trying to harvest crop from these lands. Police had at the time filed several cases against Majhi.

A year later,he had floated the Dalit Samaj,which had won majority of the seats in panchayat polls in Raighar block of Nawarangpur. In the 2004 Assembly elections,he fought as an Independent.