Three persons were arrested on Monday in connection with the killing of VHP leader Lakshmananda Saraswati and his four associates, about six weeks after the murder.

"The three were arrested in connection with the killing after police obtained concrete evidence against them, " Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj said, without disclosing details about the arrest made in Kandhamal.

The trio would be produced before a court very soon, he said, adding police would seek their remand for interrogation and extraction of further information about the conspiracy into the murder.

The arrest came a day after State Home Secy T K Mishra indicated that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the killing of the VHP leader was close to nabbing the culprits.

The arrest was made after interrogation of a large number of persons since the killing of Saraswati and others at Jalespeta on August 23.