Rationalist Govind Pansare was shot dead in February. He died after spending four days in the hospital.
Four more people have been detained over the murder of rationalist Govind Pansare, after police made the first breakthrough in case months after the incident, sources have told NDTV.
A woman was detained in Mumbai, one man was held from Pune and two were detained in Goa last night, police said. There were allegedly in touch with Sameer Gaikwad, an activist of the right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha, who was picked up at around 4.30 am yesterday in Sangli, sources added.
The 32-year-old suspect runs a mobile repair shop and has been a member of Sanatan Sanstha since, said senior police officer Manoj Kumar Sharma.
Mr Pansare, a Left leader, and his wife were out on a morning walk on February 16 when they were shot at near their home in Kolhapur by men on a bike. Mr Pansare died four days later, after being flown to Mumbai for treatment.
Mr Pansare had been at the forefront of an anti-road toll agitation
Last month, scholar MM Kalburgi was shot dead at his home in Karnataka's Dharwad by gunmen who escaped in a bike.
Similarities have been drawn between the killings of Mr Pansare, Professor Kalburgi and well-known anti-superstition activist, Narendra Dabholkar, who was shot dead in Pune in 2013.
Yesterday, the families of all three met Karnataka Chief Minister M Siddaramaiah to press for a proper investigation into Professor Kalburgi's murder.