The Boudh police on Friday arrested four persons, including three of a family, for their alleged involvement in the brutal murder of lawyer and BJP activist Hemant Sahoo on November 10.
The arrested persons were Duryodhan Sahoo, his mother Kunti and sister Uma and Abasthi Sahoo.
“Duryodhan Sahoo and Uma Sahoo are the main conspirators and the main accused in the case, Kunti Sahoo had been arrested in connection with a case in 2004. We are investigating into the matter to find out her involvement in this case,” said Boudh Superintendent of Police B Gangadhar.
In 2004, miscreants had also murdered deceased Hemant’s uncle. Hemant was hacked to death at Bahira village under the Baunsuni police station on Tuesday morning.
He was attacked with sharp weapons by some assailants while he was on morning walk. A profusely bleeding Hemant succumbed to his injuries on the spot.
Police suspected previous rivalry over a land dispute was the motive behind the murder. Hemant, a criminal lawyer, was a prosecution witness in the 2004 murder of his uncle.
The deceased was also a former block president of district BJP and was also the convenor of the party district unit legal cell.
Meanwhile, judicial activities across the State, including that of the Odisha High Court, were paralysed on Friday when lawyers observed a protest day against the earlier police inaction in detecting the murder of Sahoo.
Nevertheless, expressing satisfaction over the belated action of the police in arresting the alleged murderers, Odisha High Court Bar Association president Ashok Mohapatra said the executive body of the association would meet soon to chalk out further course of action.