Patna: Police on Monday arrested the people involved in the jeweller murder in Begusarai district and busted a gang that had stolen "ashtadhatu" idols from a monastery in Samastipur district.

Sajan Soni, 27, was shot dead on April 9 when he was travelling from Samastipur to Barauni on the Jansadharan Express. He was carrying jewellery with him which the miscreants robbed and escaped.

Residents of Teghra - from where Soni was - had shut down the small town, demanding the culprits to be arrested.

DGP K.S. Dwivedi said: "Two teams of railway police were constituted after technical analysis of the incident. They conducted raids in Samastipur and Begusarai districts and arrested two main accused - Sunil Kumar Sahni and Vikesh Kumar, alias Vicky, from a place under Ujiyarpur police station in Samastipur district."

The duo have confessed to the involvement of six persons in the loot and murder.

Additional director-general of rail police Alok Raj said 30 gold chains, gold jewellery weighing 287 grams, a 24-carat gold biscuit, weighing 47.76 grams, a piece of gold and around Rs 60,000, looted from Soni has been recovered.

In another operation, Samastipur police busted a gang and recovered 14 ashtadhatu (made of eight metal) idols stolen from the famous Narghoghi math in the early hours of April 12.

DGP Dwivedi said: "It is a commendable act that the stolen idols have been recovered with prompt action of the police."

Idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Hanuman and other deities, considered around 400 years old, were stolen. Samastipur sadar deputy superintendent of police Mohammad Tanvir said six persons were arrested.

"They have been nabbed from Purnea and Katihar districts. Idols of the deities were recovered from them. They are professional antiquity thieves who sell the items to antique smugglers connected to other countries," Tanvir said.