Ranchi, Nov 24 (IANS): It's not news that Maoist guerrillas have been killing people to extract levies in Jharkhand. But now, police say they have evidence that Maoists in the state are indulging in contract killing.

Jharkhand's Khuti district is one the worst Maoist-violence hit districts of the state. Here, people are killed by Maoists almost every week. The two Maoist organisations - Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) - are active in the district.

Both these outfits are also engaged in warring against each other. Hundreds of people have been killed in Khuti district this year by Maoist factions.

"We have now found a new trend -- Maoist guerrillas are indulging in contract killing. We have blocked levy collection at many points, and to generate resources, PLFI members are indulging in contract killing," a police official from Khuti district told IANS.

"People engaged in rivalry or enmity are hiring PLFI members at rate of Rs.10,000 to Rs.30,000 to execute contract killings," the police official said.

Police earlier considered the killings an outcome of rivalry between the CPI-Maoist and PLFI. Investigations into some cases of murder, however, revealed the new trend.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of Jharkhand's 24 districts.