Patna, Dec. 7: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh to those providing substantial clue about the killers of Brahmeshwar Singh "Mukhiya", the former chief-cum-founder of the erstwhile Ranvir Sena, a private militia of landlords operating in south and central Bihar.

The announcement has come three years and five months after the investigating agency took over the case in July 2013, more than a year after the incident. Mukhiya was attacked by armed criminals in Katira locality of Ara town, around 60km west of Patna, when he had gone for a morning stroll on June 1, 2012.

The incident had sparked off tension both in Ara and Patna with the supporters of Mukhiya ransacking shops and business establishments for two consecutive days. The police had to enforce prohibitory orders at Ara, the district headquarters town of Bhojpur, to bring the situation under control.

A senior CBI official associated with the probe said the decision to announce a reward for the people giving information about the real culprits was taken after the interrogation of prime suspect Nand Gopal Pandey alias Fauzi, who was arrested from Jamui district on June 9 this year. He proved a hard nut to crack for the investigating agency. The agency, however, clarified that the identity of the informer would not be disclosed.

The state government had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 on the head of Fauzi prior to the case being handed over to the CBI. Fauzi, a resident of Bhojpur, was suspected to be close to former JDU legislator Sunil Pandey, who according to police sources, was not happy with Mukhiya over collection of funds and mobilisation of farmers of Shahabad region in favour of a political outfit.

Though four-term MLA Pandey denied involvement in the case, a special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the police headquarters had hinted at the former lawmaker's involvement. Mukhiya's supporters had misbehaved with Pandey when he visited the Katira residence of the slain Ranvir Sena chief on June 1, 2012.

The SIT headed by then deputy inspector-general of Shahabad range Ajitabh Kumar had named eight persons as accused and arrested six of them. However, the arrested persons - Monu Rai alias Ritesh Kumar, his friend Sunny Kumar Pandey, Yogendra Pandey, Hareram Pandey, Abhay Kumar Pandey and Prince Kr Pandey - were granted bail as the police failed to prove their involvement in the case.

The CBI, highly placed sources said, had earlier conducted a mock drill of the incident on the spot and appealed to the people to provide information about the culprits. The agency has, however, failed to make any headway in the case even after almost three-and-a-half-months after taking over the probe.