Palghar, Jun 13 (PTI) One more accused has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Ashok Dhodi, a Shiv Sena leader from Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Friday.

The police have so far arrested seven persons, including the victim's brother Avinash Dhodi, for the crime that took place in January, while two more accused remain at large, District Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh said.

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Manoj Bhavarsingh Rajput (34) from Shahapur in Thane district was apprehended on Thursday, he said.

As per the case details, the victim, Ashok Dhodi (52), had gone missing on January 19, and his body was found days later after police managed to zero in on his car, which was in a water-filled quarry in neighbouring Gujarat.

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According to the police, Avinash Dhodi was angry as the victim had filed an application with the Vevji Gram Panchayat to cancel his house lease, following which he was evicted.

On January 19, when Ashok Dhodi was travelling to his house from Dahanu, the accused and his accomplices intercepted the car at Vevji Ghat and abducted him.

The accused subsequently murdered Ashok Dhodi and threw his body and car into a water-filled quarry at Sarigam Wadiapada in Gujarat.

An FIR was registered with the Gholwad police station under sections 140 (3), 140 (1) (kidnapping or abducting to murder or for ransom, etc.), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), 103 (1) (murder) and 238 (A) (kidnap) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on January 27.

The police arrested the main accused, Avinash Dhodi, from Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli earlier this month.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)