Bhubaneswar, May 21: Two persons accused in the murder of Anant Narayan Mohapatra, son of a retired government employee, were arrested today.

Mohapatra, 31, who was working with a private company in Bhubaneswar, was found lying murdered on the side of a road at Mundamuhan village on May 10.

Hadu Barik, 42, a native of Buguda in Ganjam district and Dillip Kumar Sahu, 36, of Jatni were arrested in connection with the murder. While Hadu was working as a labourer at a steel plant in Cuttack, Dillip worked as a hydro-operator at steel plant in Khurda.

Police have also seized the weapon used in the crime. Earlier, the prime accused in the case Radheswar Moharana had committed suicide on the next day of crime. Fearing arrest, Radheswar had committed suicide on the tracks near Retang railway station.

The police said illicit relationship with a girl was the reason behind the crime.

“There was a scuffle between Radheswar and Anant over the girl and subsequently the former along with his two associates hatched a plan to eliminate his rival,” said a senior police official.

Investigating the crime, the police had found bloodstains in a under construction house in the area. The presence of liquor bottles raised the suspicion that Anant was murdered.

The police had found deep injury marks on Anant’s forehead and the back of his head. Anant was last seen with some people in the Jaanla market a day before the crime took place.

To ensure that he was out of suspicion, Radheswar also took part in Anant’s funeral rites. “We have been suspecting the involvement of Radheswar, but his suicide had made the case difficult for us. But later we found the involvement of two of his associates in the murder,” said a cop.