Bhubaneswar,(The Telegraph): The needle of suspicion in the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his four aides on August 23, 2008, in Kandhamal, points to Maoists.

Informed sources told The Telegraph that the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission of Inquiry, in its report, has held the Maoists responsible for the murder.

The commission's secretary A.K. Patnaik today submitted a copy of the 1,026-page report to home secretary Asit Tripathy. "It's a privileged document and I can't divulge the details," Patnaik said.

On his part, Justice Naidu told The Telegraph that the state government had maintained that the Maoists were involved in the killings.

"I have made my own observations on the government's contention in the report," Justice Naidu said, while refusing to give out further details.

Justice Naidu, however, said that he had made specific recommendations to avoid communal clashes in the Kandhamal region.

In October 2008, in an audiotape to a private TV channel, Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, now in judicial custody, had claimed that they had killed Saraswati for his "atrocities against the minority community in the region".

Laxmanananda's murder was followed by<> widespread. The incident had led chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik to end his party's decade-long alliance with the BJP just ahead of the 2009 elections.

The government had set up the commission of inquiry on September 8, 2008, to look into events and circumstances leading to the killing of Laxmanananda and his associates and the subsequent violence.

Justice Naidu took charge of the commission in 2012 following the death of Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra, who was initially heading it.

The state had witnessed large-scale violence. As many as 38 people were killed and nearly 25,000 had fled their homes fearing communal flare-ups in Kandhamal.

Patnaik said that during the commission's seven years of investigation, it had received 825 affidavits. He said: "Nearly 300 people, including 78 government officials, had deposed before the commission. It has examined documents containing 4,000 pages and had taken note of 1,345 incidents."

In his brief interaction with the media, Justice Naidu said: "Riots are not new to Kandhamal district. The district witnesses riots periodically. I have extensively studied the socio-economic condition of the district. In my report, I have suggested measures to avoid communal riots in the district."

According to the procedure, the government will now place the report, along with the action-taken note, in the Assembly within six months.

BJP leader Suresh Pujari demanded that the government immediately convene the Assembly to place the report.

Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra said: "The government should place the report in the next Assembly session." BJD spokesperson Samir Dash said: "The government is examining the report and it will place the report in the Assembly."