The Bhadrak police on Monday arrested two more persons, including a former Odisha Information Service (OIS) officer, for their alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of cameraman Manas Swain.
The accused were identified as Niranjan Sethi, former OIS officer, and Ranjan Nayak alias Raj. Sethi was earlier posted as Technical Director of the Information and Public Relations Department.
Bhadrak ASP Jatin Panda said Sethi was part of the plot that had been hatched to abduct and subsequently kill the photographer.
Police have so far arrested five persons in connection with the brutal murder of the 28-year-old cameraman, who was working with a Bhubaneswar-based web channel.
Manas, a resident of Godipokhari village in the Ranpur area of Nayagarh district, had gone missing on February 7 after he went to Chandbali in Bhadrak district. Later, his family members had lodged a police complaint.
The Chandbali police had recovered Manas' body from the Badhipatna hills at Rajsunakhala of Nayagarh district on March 12.
However, Sarmistha Rout, the owner of a news portal, who is suspected to be the key conspirator behind murder of the cameraman, is still at large.