Hazaribagh, Jan. 23: A 35-year-old contractor was found dead on a road in Ramgarh district in the wee hours today, with pamphlets, branding him a police informer, recovered from the spot pointing to Maoist involvement even though police are not ruling out other angles.

Thakur Das Mahto, a father of two, was working for Brajesh Construction Company, which is building a road in Dulmi block of the district.

His body, riddled with bullets and the throat slit, was found dumped on Rajrappa-Murpa Road, around 35km from the district headquarters.

Ramgarh superintendent of police (SP) Priyadarshi Alok, who visited the spot, said that they had recovered some pamphlets, which were similar to the ones usually left behind by Maoists, and three bullets from near the body, which suggested that Mahto was fired upon.

"Though the pamphlets don't mention the Maoists, the style of writing was similar to rebel outfit's. Also, the leaflets say that Mahto was killed because he was a police informer. We are working on other angles too and will check his mobile phone for call details," the police officer said.

The contractor is believed to have spoken to his family last evening. "He had said that he was planning to go to Koderma with two persons. Evidently, he didn't go there as he was killed," said a source.

According to insiders, Mahto could have paid a price over levy.

"He was asked to cough up levy for the work that Brajesh Construction Company had taken up in Dulmi. It could be that his murder was the fallout of this," said another source.

However, police reminded that the area where the killing took place was not a Naxalite stronghold. "We spoke to local residents and shop owners, who said that they had had heard gunshots at night. But the body was spotted only in the morning today after which police were informed. We have sent the body for post-mortem," the SP said.

The murder triggered protests as people gathered outside Gola police station, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits and compensation for the victim's kin. The agitation ended an hour later after police promised to take necessary measures to help the contractor's family.