Guwahati, Aug. 20: Police today arrested Hira Sarania, a key leader of Ulfa’s pro-talks faction, in connection with a robbery-cum-twin murder case.

Sarania, 46, who was commander of Ulfa’s 709 battalion and one of the most dreaded militants, came overground last year and became a prominent member of the group led by Arabinda Rajkhowa which is currently engaged in talks with the Centre.

The Ulfa leader was picked up by a team of city police from his residence at Helosa village in Nalbari district early this morning. He was brought to the city for interrogation. Sarania is likely to be produced in court tomorrow.

Senior superintendent of police (city) Anand Prakash Tiwari said Sarania was arrested for his alleged role in a robbery and murder of Vineet Jain and Suresh Patel in the city recently.

Jain, a resident of Rehabari, was an employee of businessman Rajan Lohia and Patel was the caretaker of a house owned by Lohia at Sikaria Complex in Christian Basti. Lohia is into real estate business.

Tiwari said three other accused — Sarfraz Ali Nawaz, 38, Pankaj Kalita, 34 and Pradip Choudhury, 42, were also arrested on Saturday from the city in connection with this case registered at Dispur police station.

The trio were produced in the court yesterday and remanded in 14 days’ police custody.

City police carried out the operation under supervision of additional SP (crime) Amitava Sinha.

Two other accused in this case are still absconding.

Tiwari said the arrested accused have confessed to the crime. “We have also collected substantial evidence of their involvement in the crime,” he said.

He said Vineet Jain and Sarfraz Ali Nawaz, who is an advocate, allegedly hatched the conspiracy to commit robbery at Lohia’s house and took help of Sarania and the two other accused.

“The accused led by Vineet Jain broke into Lohia’s residence on the night of July 30 and took away around Rs 30 lakh in cash and valuables worth several lakhs of rupees after killing the caretaker. They subsequently sliced Patel’s body into pieces, put those in a gunny bag and threw it into the Brahmaputra,” another police officer said requesting anonymity.

According to him, they had killed Patel and dumped his body into the river in a bid to turn the suspicion of theft towards him since he was alone in the house when the incident happened.

“On August 1 they had a dispute over distribution of the loot after Vineet demanded 50 per cent share. The next day Sarania called Vineet to the Kharghuli area in the city, hacked him to death and dumped his body into the Brahmaputra,” the source said.

A few days later, Jain’s Hyundai Eon car was found abandoned at Silpukhuri in the city.