Kendrapara, April 25: Police today arrested four criminals for murdering a 75-year-old widow from a well-to-do family at Badapala in the district on September 2 last year.

Jafar Khan, the mastermind of the crime, was apprehended from the Marshaghai police station area, while three of his accomplices - Kalam Khan, Mirza Akbar Khan and Jeetu Patra - have been apprehended from Remuna, Jajpur Road and Kisannagar, respectively, said Marshaghai police station inspector Sukant Kumar Patra.

The police nabbed the assailants after tracking their mobile phones. First, Jafar was nabbed. He spilled the beans and his accomplices were arrested later.

The 70-year-old victim, Swarnalata Samantray, had been found murdered with her hands and legs tied up in her double-storey house at Badapala. The murder had triggered public outcry.

Robbery was the sole the motive behind the murder. The widow being rich, the criminals had committed the murder to steal valuables and cash from the house, said Patra. The deceased's only son and daughter-in-law are based in the US, while her daughter and son-in-law are settled in Bhubaneswar.

The history-sheeters had kept an eye on the house. After breaking into the house, they had smothered her with a pillow. The victim later died of strangulation. The assailants had fled with gold and other valuables. Initially, the police had suspected the involvement of slum dwellers, as their units were located near the victim's house. A priest, who used to visit the house for performing daily puja, had first spotted the widow's body.