Muzaffarpur, June 25: Forensic teams from Patna and Muzaffarpur reached Mankoli village, around 60km north of the capital, this morning to probe the murder of two fertiliser traders in the district.

Around 40 suspected Maoists raided the house of Pradip Rai, a primary agriculture credit society member, in Mankoli village under the jurisdiction of Kudhani police station around 11.30 last night.

Two of Rai’s relatives — Prabhash Rai (25) and Laxmi Rai (60) — died on the spot as rebels sprayed them with bullets. Another relative, Rajkumar Rai, suffered bullet injuries. The rebels chopped off the arms of the two deceased and beheaded them. The forensic teams, which visited the village, found 26 empty cartridges at the spot. The teams inspected the crime scene and also spoke to the neighbours.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Saurav Kumar said the Muzaffarpur-Vaishali sub-zonal unit of the Maoists has claimed responsibility of the attack. Kumar, who visited the village today to take stock of the situation, said leaflets and handwritten notes of the rebels owning up to the attack were found strewn in the village. He added that a special team led by deputy superintendent of police (west) Anuj Kumar has been formed to take action against the killers.

Family members of the deceased, however, refused to accept that Maoists were behind the attack. They pointed their fingers at local criminals of masterminding the attack.

SSP Kumar said: “Laxmi Rai had unsuccessfully contested elections to the panchayati raj institution twice and earned the ill-will of his poll rivals. The investigation will be conducted from all aspects and the killers would be arrested within 48 hours.”

The bodies of Prabhash Rai and Laxmi Rai were brought back to the village this morning after autopsy at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, around 22km from Mankoli.

The angry villagers vandalised the panchayat bhavan and decried police inaction after which personnel have been deployed apprehending escalation of problems.