Bhubaneswar, Jan. 2: Police arrested two youths, including a homeopath, for allegedly killing the 20-year-old caretaker of a de-addiction centre late on Monday night at Naharkanta in Mancheswar police limits.

Thirty-six inmates had escaped from the centre after strangulating Sumit Ranjan Behera.

The police today arrested the homoeopath, Saroj Das, 32, from Balasore and Jyoti Ranjan Sahu, 24, from Cuttack.

The cops said that while Das had been staying at the rehab since September last year, the other accused had started staying since November.

The police said both the accused had confessed to assaulting the deceased, a native of Kendrapara district.

"Both the accused told us they wanted to go out of the de-addiction centre to celebrate the New Year. However, Behera stopped them. Consequently, the inmates tied up his hands and legs before escaping. Later, they also assaulted and gagged him that led to his death," said a senior police official.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said they were trying to nab the other accused in the crime. "We strongly suspect the involvement of four others in the crime. We are interrogating the inmates of the centre to find out more on this," said Bhoi.

The deceased had been working with the de-addiction centre for the past two years.

However, the incoherent behaviour of the inmates has become a major challenge for the police during investigation. "Most of the inmates being interrogated are changing their statements frequently as most of them are suffering from memory loss. We have been interrogating them thoroughly to ascertain the sequence of events," said a police official.

The police suspected that the accused were unhappy with the attitude of the deceased, who did not let them leave the de-addiction centre.

"Being a caretaker, Behera used to keep the inmates occupied by playing carom, ludo and other games. He never allowed the inmates to leave the centre for their benefit. That might have created a grudge among them," said a police official.