Bihar landmine blast accused surrenders

One of the men accused of killing seven people in Bihar's Aurangabad district last week surrendered in court Thursday and was sent to 14 days' judicial custody, police said.

"After police intensified search operations, one of the men who was earlier accused in the case and had been identified by name, Baban Yadav, surrendered in court," Aurangabad Superintendent of Police Upender Sharma said.

On Oct 20, seven people, including Sunil Pandey, a former commander of the outlawed Ranvir Sena, were killed in a massive landmine blast in Aurangabad district. Several criminal cases were pending against Pandey, who is married to a district council member.

Four days ago, police arrested five suspected Maoists in connection with the killings. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from those arrested.

Pandey was on the hit-list of Maoists, who had threatened to kill him after his recent release from jail.

The banned Communist Party of India-Maoist claimed that the people's guerrilla army had carried out the strike to avenge the killing of innocent people by the Ranvir Sena, an outlawed private army of landed upper castes.

Police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) in the case, in which seven people were identified by name. There were 50 others who featured as "unknown" people.