A murder accused in police custody in Ganjam on Tuesday. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, April 17: Two persons were arrested today on the charge of killing BJD worker G. Bhagirathi Reddy, 40, of Karapalli.

The victim’s body, with its head severed, was found in a garbage heap in the city on April 8. A week later, police had recovered the severed head.

Bhagirathi had been missing since April 6 after attending the engagement ceremony of his brother-in-law. His family members had registered a missing case the next day.

The two accused were identified as Eswar and Sudam Maharana and the police are looking for two others.

After the two accused were taken into custody yesterday, the police said there was “no political conspiracy” in the killing of the BJD worker. The culprits had allegedly murdered Bhagirathi after he had boasted about his role in the arrest of the two persons in a dacoity case earlier.

Superintendent of police Safin Ahmed K. said the prime accused, Eswar, was involved in 18 criminal cases in three police districts — Berhampur, Ganjam and Puri. Eswar had allegedly killed an autorickshaw driver in Puri.

Four persons — Eswar, Sudam Maharana, Santosh Sahu and Babu Achari — had allegedly killed Bhagirathi on April 6. They had all been on a drinking binge with Bhagirathi during which the BJD worker had reportedly told them that he had been instrumental in getting three persons, including Eswar, arrested in a case of dacoity in Kabisurya Nagar.

His revelation had angered the others. While Babu and Sudam had allegedly caught hold of the victim’s legs, Santosh held his hands and Eswar chopped off his head with a sharp-edged weapon near Karapalli panchayat office.

The four then buried the body in a garbage dump and discarded the severed head near the water tank of a newly built two-storey house that was owned by the victim’s brother-in-law.

The police said Eswar had gone to Puri on April 8 after destroying his bloodstained clothes. He had hidden the weapon in a bush.

“We will soon arrest Santosh Sahu and Babu Achari, who are absconding,” the police chief said. Irate villagers of Karapalli had blocked Berhampur-Gopalpur road for about two hours on April 8 to protest against the incident.