Seven persons were arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the murder of a sarpanch candidate in Ganjam district on the eve of the panchayat elections recently.
Two prime accused, Mantu Khandala and Satyaban Prusty, sarpanch and samiti member candidates respectively, and their five supporters were arrested for the murder of Bulu Pradhan (35), also a sarpanch candidate in Bramhanachhai panchayat, said Inspector In-Charge of Hinjli police station Prasant Kumar Sahoo.
Bramhanachhai panchayat is in Sheragada block under Hinjili constituency, from where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was elected to the Assembly.
With the arrest of seven persons, a total of 31 people have been arrested so far in the case, he said.
Earlier police had arrested 24 people in connection with the incident of February 22 night. They said some more persons would also be arrested soon.
Pradhan succumbed to injures sustained in group clash in the village between the supporters of two rival groups on the eve of the panchayat elections. Eight others had also sustained injured in the clash, the police said.
State Election Commission had postponed all the elections of the three-tier panchayats in Bramhanachhai panchayat following the incident.
