Patna, May 25: Dhamdaha police in Purnea have arrested 33 people, including 20 women, in connection with JD(U) leader Jainendra Mandal’s murder at Kishunpur-Balwa village on Friday.

Some tribals burnt Mandal (45), husband of the Kishunpur-Balwa panchayat head, to death over a disputed plot of land in the village, 350 km northeast of Patna. The tribals had come equipped with bows and arrows.

Apart from the arrests, 30 more had been detained for interrogation, Purnea superintendent of police Kim said. Dhamdaha sub-divisional police officer Sujeet Kumar said 89 people had been named as accused in the FIR lodged on the basis of Mandal’s widow Simo Devi’s statement.

Kim, who rejoined duty on Saturday after being on leave, rushed to the spot and spoke to locals and relatives of the deceased. She said additional forces had been deployed and officials asked to camp there. A search of the houses of the accused led to seizure of two weapons and six live cartridges.

SDPO Sujeet Kumar said intensive raids had been launched to apprehend the accused. “The role of those detained is being ascertained,” he said over phone from Purnea.

The SP said that it was being ascertained whether the seized weapons were illegal. “All precautionary measures have been taken up to ward off any untoward incident,” she said.

Purnea district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma was also camping in the village.

Locals told the police that Mandal was virtually taken hostage and torched after he tried to oust tribals and take possession of about 17 acres of land in the village on Friday.

Eyewitnesses said the incident took place right in front of police personnel, but senior police and administration officials denied it saying, “There was no laxity on the part of the local police.”