Patna:

A delegation of political leaders, cutting across party affiliations, on Thursday met Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan and submitted a memorandum demanding a CBI inquiry into the murder of an airline official whose alleged killer the police claimed to have caught on the previous day.

The delegates, most of whom shared caste affinity with the killed Indigo airlines station manager Rupesh Kumar Singh, pointed out the disbelief expressed by his bereaved family members over the theory proffered by the police that the murder was a case of “road rage”.

Former minister Ram Jatan Sinha told reporters, “we wonder what came of the averment by none other than DGP SK Singhal that it was a case of contract killing? Rituraj, whom they have caught on charge of having pulled the trigger, is no contract killer.”

A Patna resident who had graduated from a private university in Delhi but went astray, Rituraj, according to the police, had got involved in theft of two-wheelers.

His vehicle had allegedly collided with the SUV of Rupesh Singh in November last year and the latter “abused” him in a fit of rage, according to police, though a sister of the dead has reacted to the claim saying “my brother was too timid to pick up a quarrel”.

According to the police, Rituraj had since unsuccessfully tried to attack Rupesh Singh a few times.

Last month, Rituraj was accompanied by three associates who are yet to be caught on two motorcycles on the fateful evening when he pumped six bullets into the airlines official while he was returning home in his car.

Neetu Singh, the wife of the dead, has said “Rituraj could or could not be the killer. I am not sure about that.

But there must have been a motive. I cannot believe that it was just a matter of road rage which simmered on for weeks”.

Veena Sahi, a Congress leader and a former minister, who was among the signatories to the memorandum, however, said “we are certain that Rituraj is a mere scapegoat.

“He has been caught to save some big shots who might be involved in the killing. Until there is a CBI inquiry, we do not think justice will be done”.

Mr Singh was known to be sociable and on friendly terms with the high and the mighty of the state.

Others who signed the memorandum included ex-ministers Ajeet Kumar (formerly with JD(U) and Suresh Sharma (BJP), former MLA Awaneesh Kumar (BJP) and ex-MP Arun Kumar (RLSP).

Meanwhile, the police has stuck to its guns. ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar said the team involved in investigation deserved commendation for solving the high-profile case.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)