Jharkhand government on Wednesday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the killing of Sunil Mahto, Lok Sabha MP of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) from Jamshedpur, in a Maoist attack in 2007.
“Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has given the approval to recommend NIA probe in the killing of Mahto,” a press release of the state government stated on Wednesday.
In March 2007, Maoist guerrillas killed Mahto despite security cover when he was watching a football match, where he was invited as chief guest.
His wife Suman Mahto was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2007. She had, on several occasions, demanded the NIA probe.
The demand gained momentum after NIA arrested former Minister and ex-Janata Dal-United (JD-U) legislator Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter in connection with the murder of former Minister Ramesh Singh Munda last year. Munda was killed by Maoists on the outskirts of Ranchi when he was attending a function in a school.