Guwahati, Nov. 6: Police are investigating the “love angle” in the murder of Pappu Paswan, a resident of Soonsali, on October 30, but his family today denied any such affair.

The crime unit of city police yesterday arrested four persons — Ram Ashish Sahni, Sonaram Sarma, Ajoy Hajong and Nanki Paswan, following investigation into an FIR lodged by Pappu’s father Nilu Paswan. Police investigation revealed that Sahni had hired four persons who abducted Pappu on October 30 and strangled him to death before dumping him into the Brahmaputra.

A hunt is on to track down another accused.

“Investigation so far has revealed that Sahni had struck a deal ranging between Rs 1.2 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh with the four to kill Pappu. Personal enmity between the two families seems to be the cause of the murder, but we are investigating all possibilities, including a love angle as suspected by some neighbours,” a source in city police said.

Sources said although Pappu’s family had denied any love angle in the crime, some neighbours told the police that Pappu, 23, loved a girl in Sahni’s family. Sahni, an FCI employee, also stays in Soonsali.

Additional superintendent of police (crime unit), Amitava Sinha said personnel of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force today continued their search for Pappu’s body but it could not be traced.

The police today produced the four accused in the court of Kamrup (metro) chief judicial magistrate.

Chandan murder: Dipjyoti Kalita, 19, and Alam Ali, 25, two accused in the murder of Chandan Das of Amingaon were produced in court today. The two were arrested last night from Rungram under Tura police station in Meghalaya. The police had earlier arrested Nayan Das, a garage owner in connection with the abduction and murder case.

The decapitated body of Chandan, a 19-year-old student of Pub Bangshar College, was found near Hajo on Sunday. The student went missing on October 27. His family received a call demanding Rs 30 lakh as ransom. “The crime was committed for ransom,” superintendent of police (traffic) Pranabjyoti Goswami said today.

City police also initiated an investigation against a police constable of Amingaon police outpost, Rafiq Ali, after the family alleged his involvement with criminals. “Our SP (operations) Sudhakar Singh is conducting an investigation and is likely to submit his report by tomorrow,” Goswami said.

He added that the six accused had been remanded in 10 days’ police custody by the court.