Jamshedpur, Feb. 20: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and MP Sunil Mahto was killed by Maoists and was not a victim of a political conspiracy, the CBI has concluded.

Deputy superintendent of police (CBI) and investigating officer in the case P.K. Pandey shared this with The Telegraph.

According to him, the JMM leader’s killing was plotted and executed by a squad of dreaded Maoists led by Rahulji alias Ranjit Pal, who operates along the Jharkhand-Bengal border.

“According to the evidence gathered so far, it can be concluded that it was Rahulji who executed the murder of the JMM leader alongwith four others, including his three bodyguards,” said Pandey.

The CBI officer revealed the status of the investigation a day after he visited Baguria in Galudih under the Ghatshila sub-division, alongwith CBI joint director S.P. Singh.

Another CBI officer, D.P. Arya, had accompanied them to the spot yesterday.

The JMM leader was gunned down by Maoists at Baguria on March 4, 2007, while he was attending a football match. In the attack, one of his partymen, Prabhakar Mahto, and three security guards were also killed.

The police had made several arrests in this connection. The state government had assigned the case to the CID first and subsequently to the CBI. It has been almost two years since the MP was killed, but the leading investigating agency failed to make any dent in the case.

The investigating officer said that the CBI has identified Rahulji.

“We are in possession of the photographs. The case will be closed soon and hence we have expedited the investigation,” said Pandey.