Police believe the motive for the murder is connected with a property dispute (Representational)
The police in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka have made an arrest in the case of the murder of a Dandeli-based lawyer, Ajit Nayak. 35 year old Pandurang Kamble was arrested on Wednesday and is now in police custody. They say a property dispute was behind the attack.
Mr Nayak was killed last Friday, just outside his office - and the police say it was Kamble who actually attacked him.
The police are looking for two other men also suspected of being involved in planning the murder.
Mr Nayak had earlier been part of the Kali Bacchao Andolan. He has also been working to get Dandeli declared a separate taluk. There were protests after his murder and lawyers also boycotted work for a day.
District Superintendent of Police, Patil Vinayak, told NDTV that the police believe the motive for the murder to be personal and connected with a property dispute.
Kamble's father had been allotted an acre of land by the government which had later been re-allocated to another SC family. When resorts began to come up on the Kali river, the land went up in value. The paperwork for the land was not clear - and Nayak as a lawyer was said to be personally interested in the land in addition to having the General Power of Attorney for another family in the case.
He also employed another man who was on bail in a double murder case - and the police say Kamble felt intimidated. They say that is why he and his two associates made the plan to murder Mr Nayak. Kamble has been sent to police custody.