Bhubaneswar, Dec. 19: Three persons, including a woman, were arrested today for their alleged involvement in the murder of a doctor couple at Sailashree Vihar on November 15.

Senior citizens Prafulla Mishra and Sushamarani Mishra were found murdered in their home last month.

"Loot was the main motive behind the crime," said police commissioner R.P. Sharma. The alleged mastermind of the crime, 30-year-old Tikina Behera, was working as a maid at the house of the deceased couple along with her husband Jaban Naik. Behera and Naik, natives of Sujeli in Kandhamal, are absconding.

The three arrested persons have been identified as Kishore Chandra Behera, 44, alias Timpa of Nehru Nagar in Ganjam district, Kamal Khan alias Muna, 22, and his wife Phulsari Behera alias Nini, 36, both hailing from Aul in Kendrapara district.

All of them were living at Salia Sahi in Bhubaneswar while Tikina and Nini were working as maid in the victims' house. Muna is the second husband of Phulsari and did not visit his native place for the last seven to eight years. Kishore is the brother of Tikina.

Police said that Tikina had plotted the plan to loot the couple with the help of Nini. The doctor couple was vulnerable since their children were staying in a different locality in Bhubaneswar.

Sharma said the two women had discussed the loot plan with other members. The five accused persons had also conducted a trial run on November 13 before executing the murders.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Bhubaneswar, with the help of Berhampur police picked up Timpa from a dhaba in Gopalpur. His interrogation led to the arrest of Muna and Nini. So far, police have seized four mobile phones, six golden bangles, Rs 2,100 cash and a sharp-edged weapon from them.