Five months after the brutal murder of renowned rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, the Pune Police arrested two persons in connection with the case late on Monday evening. The police said Manish Nagori (24) and Vilas Khandelwal (22), part of a gang, had been in their custody since August for their alleged involvement in two other cases in Maharashtra.

The duo had been booked under Section 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code on the charge of conspiracy and relevant sections of the Arms Act, the police said.

The Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad and the Pune Police had been probing their role in the murder. A ballistic report showed that the bullet found in Dr. Dabholkar's body was fired from one of the firearms seized from Nagori and his aides. The arrest was made possible after a Pune court issued a production warrant against the two on Monday, after the police requested permission to arrest the duo in the Dabholkar murder case. Investigating Officer Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajendra Bhamre said further investigation would ascertain the motive of the murder.