Maoist posters calling Mahato a ‘police informer’ were recovered from the spot. This is the first instance of a Congress leader being killed by Maoists since the Lalgarh movement began. Local Congress leaders, however, refused to buy the fact that Mahato was killed by Maoists for being a police informer.

“We knew Bikash very well. He never went to any police station or spoke with any police officer. He was scared of the Maoists and not in a position to provide information to police. This is a planned murder,” said Durgesh Malladev, president of Jhargarm sub-divisional Congress Committee.

West Midnapore SP Manoj Verma added: “Maoists do not follow any party lines while killing people. After a murder, they leave a poster claiming the deceased was a police informer when most of these victims have never met any police officer. These are pretexts to kill people.”

According to sources, Bikash was spearheading a movement in Lodhashuli village against sponge iron factories in the area. Bikash’s village is located near the sponge iron units in Lodhashuli.

Congress leader Manas Bhuniya, meanwhile, said his party will protest in Maoist-hit Jhargram to demand justice for the slain Congress leader. He said that it was not clear whether the leader was killed by Maoists.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents two others were murdered by suspected Maoists in Dahijuri near Binpur and Murar near Lalgarh.

Sankar Pal (42), a CPM supporter and resident of Murar village in Lalgarh, was gunned down around 11 pm yesterday.

“A group of five armed Maoists stormed into his house and shot him dead while he was eating dinner. When he tried to flee, they fired at him indiscriminately. His wife, who witnessed the incident, is in a state of trauma,” said police.