The police team probing the murder of BJP OBC Morcha State secretary Ranjith Sreenivas has arrested five Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activists.
The arrested have been identified as Ali Ahamed, 18, Asif Sudheer, 19, Nishad, 36, Arshad Navaz, 22 and Sudheer, 34, all from Mannancherry.
The police said the arrested had not been directly involved in the murder of Sreenivas. They were booked for destroying evidence and taking part in the conspiracy.
Sreenivas was hacked to death in his house at Vellakinar in Alappuzha Municipality, on Sunday morning allegedly in retaliation for the murder of Social Democratic Party of India State Secretary K.S. Shan in Mannancherry on Saturday night.
The police conducted searches at more than 350 locations in the district in the last two days to nab those involved in the murders. Assailants involved in the twin murders remain at large.
Earlier, the police arrested two Rashtriyaswayam Sevak Sangh activists in connection with the slaying of Shan. The duo had participated in the conspiracy and planning to kill the SDPI leader.