One more person was today arrested in connection with the murder of a local tough Srinu Naidu and his accomplice V Dharma at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district.
A senior police officer said John Francis, a money lender, was arrested from Kharagpur town in the early hours on charges of letting use his residence to plot the murder on January 13.
Of the seven others arrested yesterday and the day before, one had allegedly arranged the vehicle to transport the assailants, one masterminded the murder, one reportedly supervised the entire operattion from a spot which is in a little distance, two were contract killers and two others were killers' accomplices who had guided them to the place, a top officer said.
Three other accused were still absconding.
Meanwhile, a local court during the day remanded five of the seven arrested to 14 days' police custody while two others were undergoing treatment at a local hospital after suffering injuries during the attack on Srinu, husband of a local Trinamool Congress councillor and leader of a large gang operating in the area which he allegedly formed after coming out of the gang of Rambabu.
Old enmity between these two mafia gangs could be the reason behnd the murder, the officer said, adding police were also probing the political conspiracy angle.
The officer said the involvement of Rambabu in the incident could not be ruled out.
One of the arrested was Krishna Rao, one time close confidant of Srinu, and at loggerheads recently over real estate spoils, the officer said.
Srinu and Dharma died while three others were seriously injured when miscreants fired at them inside the TMC Councillor's office at Kharagpur on January 13.
The two along with three other TMC workers were sitting inside the TMC office at Nayakhuli locality of Kharagpur when the attack took place on them.
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