Lucknow:
The prime accused in the vandalism of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's statue in Lucknow was arrested in Gurgaon on Friday night, police said.
Amit Jani, president of the Uttar Pradesh Nav Nirman Sena (UPNNS), and his aide Rajendra were arrested from the Haryana city, adjoining Delhi, by the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police.
Police have also arrested another aide of Jani, Mohommad Qasim, the outfit's vice president, from Lucknow. Another man has also been detained for interrogation, while three people were arrested on Thursday itself for holding an inflammatory press conference.
Lucknow Inspector General of Police Ashutosh Pandey said the conspiracy was hatched in a hotel in the city and the men, who vandalised the statue, did a dry run in the park a day before.
Pandey had faced flak for not being able to stop the act of vandalism despite warnings from UPNNS.
Meanwhile, after a daylong restoration process, an exact replica of Mayawati's vandalised marble statue was erected at Ambedkar Park. The replica was found at the Sangeet Natak Academy.
Four men lead by Jani had on Thursday afternoon damaged the former chief minister's statue in the sprawling Ambedkar Park. It was damaged in the head, arm and neck.
Protests erupted in many parts of the state following the desecration, including in Muzaffarnagar, Jhansi and Ambedkarnagar, with BSP supporters and workers taking to the streets.