Four persons, including the imam (cleric) of a masjid in Karimnagar district, have been arrested in connection with the killing of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya.

Syed Akbar, the imam of Idgah Masjid in Jagityal town, was arrested on Wednesday by a special Gujarat police team and produced in a local court for transit remand, police sources said in Karimnagar on Thursday.

Akbar (45) was later taken to Gujarat, the sources said.

Members of the Muslim community staged a dharna in the Old Bus Stand area in Karimnagar to protest against the imam's arrest, the sources said.

Akbar, a native of Regunta village in Mallapur mandal, was allegedly involved in several other offences, the sources added.

Meanwhile, a Hyderabad report said a CBI team from Delhi on Wednesday arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in Pandya's killing.

Two persons were nabbed from Saidabad and one from Mallepally, police sources said adding the trio has been identified as Mohammed Mansur Siddiqui, Rahim and Abdul Samad.

The accused were produced before a court on Wednesday evening for transit remand for taking them to Ahmedabad, the sources said.

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