2 Congressmen among 11 held for BJP leader's murder in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district

Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) announced a reward of Rs 30,000 for the police team for cracking the case.

Kanker: With the arrest of 11 persons including two Congress members, the police in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Friday claimed to have solved the murder case of local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Asim Rai.

The man who actually shot Rai, a former chairman of Pakhanjur Nagar Panchayat, was yet to be arrested, said a police official.

Rai (50), a corporator and vice president of the Kanker district unit of the ruling BJP, was shot dead in Pakhanjur town on January 7.

Congress leader and Pakhanjur Nagar Panchayat president Bappa Ganguly, Congress corporator Vikas Pal, Jitendra Bairagi, Somendra Mandal, Nilratan Mandal, Gopi Das, Ripan Sadiyal, Surjeet Bala alias Sarvajit, Sameet Manjhi, Tapan Mandal and Jayant Vishwas have been arrested in the case, said Kanker Superintendent of Police Divyang Patel.

Efforts were on to nab Vikas Talukdar who allegedly shot Rai while riding pillion with Gopi Das. Rai himself was riding a motorbike when he was attacked.

Acting on a tip-off, the police first detained Nilratan Mandal who confessed to involvement in the conspiracy and named the others, the SP said. Mandal allegedly told police that Bappa Ganguly was angry with Rai as the latter moved a no-confidence motion against him after the BJP wrested power from the Congress in the recent Assembly polls.

Pal was worried about impending action against his illegally constructed hotel whereas Bairagi had old enmity with Rai, the official said. The three allegedly gave the `contract' of killing Rai to Somendra Mandal, he said. Ganguly and Pal allegedly paid Rs 7 lakh for the contract killing.

Bairagi collected information about Rai's movements while Nilratan Mandal bought a pistol for Rs 1 lakh, according to police. A motorcycle used in the crime, Rs 3.50 lakh in cash and a cartridge have been seized and further probe was on, the official said.

Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P announced a reward of Rs 30,000 for the police team for cracking the case, the SP said.