The five accused in the February 16 Kochgaon massacre in Bihar's Nawada district were arrested from Jhaur village on Tuesday evening, the police in Patna said.

Police sources said 14 of the 18 persons named in the case belonged to the Jhaur village under Warsaliganj police station.

Raids were on to apprehend those at large, including the Warsaliganj block Rashtriya Janata Dal president Surendra Yadav.

Seven persons, including Kailash Yadav, father of the Warsaliganj independent MLA Aruna Devi and Nunu Lal Singh,  relative of Jharkhand Mines Minister Ravindra Rai, were shot dead by the Ashok Mahato gang near Kochgaon on February 16.

A running feud between the gangs led by Mahato and Akhilesh Singh, husband of Aruna Devi, over sand lifting contracts is said to be the reason behind the killing.