Bhubaneswar, Jan. 11: Police today arrested three persons from Puri for allegedly killing lawyer-cum-hotelier Chandan Behera in the city on January 8.

The cops are trying to nab the mastermind behind the murder, Narendra Das, 43. He is on the run. Property dispute is said to be the motive behind the murder, which sparked off a daylong strike by lawyers of Orissa High Court and lower courts across the state yesterday. The lawyers today made it clear that they would decide on their future course of action after a meeting on Friday.

Puri police superintendent Sarthak Sarangi today said a revolver, six bullets, one car, one bike and one dagger were seized from the culprits' possession. The three accused were Basudev Bhatt, 24, Kapilash Bhoi, 30, Brajakishore Bhoi, 30 - all residents of the Puri town. The police said Das was yet to be arrested. "Investigation so far revealed that the prime accused, a local resident, had helped the deceased lawyer, who was in the hotel business in several other places of the state, buy a lodge in Puri in 2014. Behera had asked Das to handle the lodge affairs, and he also used to give Das monthly remuneration for that. But, Das was sacked the job about five months ago," said a police officer.

The police suspected Das of conspiring against the deceased and said he allegedly tried to sell the lodge to someone else after his relationship had soured with Behera. "The three accused arrested had close relationship with Das and were used by him to kill Behera. The exact motive behind the murder can be ascertained only after we nab Das," said a police officer.

The police have seized two machetes, a dagger and one pistol from the accused. "On the day of murder, the trio were hiding in the lawn of the lodge. As soon as Behera entered the lodge with his friend Krushna Chandra Pradhan, 45, they started assaulting him. The accused also assaulted Pradhan when he tried to rescue Behera. But, Pradhan managed to escape with some injury," said the investigating officer.

Body found

A teacher of a coaching centre in Berhampur drowned while boating in a reservoir as the vessel overturned in the water body in K Nuagaon of Ganjam district, police said. The body of Simanchal Pradhan, 34, of Golanthara, was retrieved by fire brigade personnel on Wednesday morning, a police official said. Three other teachers, who were also accompanying Simanchal, had managed to reach the shore safely, police said.

Dacoity bid foiled

Purighat police on Wednesday foiled a robbery attempt on a jewellery shop at Naya Sarak in Cuttack by arresting four members of a criminal gang on Tuesday. The accused were identified as Ajay Samal alias Hadu, Asish Das, Dibyasakti Behera and Satyajit Sahoo of Cuttack.