Cuttack, Feb. 13: The crime branch is hopeful of cracking the Jagabandhu Majhi murder case after key accused Jane Salam surrendered before Andhra Pradesh police yesterday.

Jane Salam, general secretary of Mainpur division of the CPI(Maoist) and Satyam Ghabede, area commander of the Satinadi committee of the rebels, were allegedly involved in the murder.

Former BJD MLA from Umerkote, Majhi, was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants while distributing land title at Gonahatpadar village under his Assembly constituency in Nowrangpur district on September 24, 2011. Besides Majhi, his personal security officer Prasanta Patra was also killed in the attack.

Later, the Maoists had claimed responsibility for Majhi’s murder and subsequently the state government had ordered a crime branch probe into the killings. The investigating agency had also released the sketches of the two key suspects and a cash award of Rs 5 lakh was also announced in September last year in this connection.

“Even though we are yet to get any official confirmation about his surrender, we will send our team for further investigation,” said additional DGP (crime branch) B.K. Sharma.

Sharma further said that a three-member team would soon leave for Andhra Pradesh and will also interrogate the key accused who was also involved in other Naxalite attacks in Nowrangpur.

“Our focus would be to ascertain the motive, the entire plot and who else were involved in the murder of Majhi,” Sharma said.