Paradip, Jan. 3: The state crime branch today started probing various criminal cases pending against stevedoring baron Mahimananda Mishra.

Mahima has been arrested on charge of murdering rival shipping company general manager Mahendra Swain on October 26 last year.

Mahima was interrogated for the third successive day today by Paradip police after bringing him on remand on Sunday.

Crime branch sleuths also interrogated him today in connection with at least three other criminal cases, including a murder case.

"Keeping in view the crime branch probe into the various old criminal cases, we may go for further extension of Mahima's police remand which is ending on Wednesday. A fresh plea is being made at the court of first-class judicial magistrate, Kujang, for extension of his remand," said a police source.

"Mahima's statements are being crosschecked with the statements of three others who had been interrogated earlier," said an investigator probing the October 26 murder of Swain.

Mahima, who had mono-polised cargo-handling contra-cts in Paradip port, was arrest-ed from Bangkok in Thailand on December 26 along with his aide Basant Bal after they had given the local cops a slip and left the country.

"We are also probing if anyone else was involved in helping Mahima flee the country and take shelter in Thailand," said a source in the police.