Gandhinagar, Jan 24 (IANS): The Gujarat Police on Thursday arrested two wanted criminals from Bhuj in Kutch District in the murder case of former BJP MLA Jayanti Bhanushali.

Ashish Bhatia, Additional Director-General of Police, (CID Crime), said, "We have arrested two persons, Shashikant alias Bitia Dada Kamble and Sheikh Ashraf from Bhuj in the murder case of former BJP MLA Jayanthi Bhanushali. Both the arrested are known criminals with many charges filed against them."

Bitiya Dada Kamble is a resident of Jawahar Nagar Yerwada in Pune and 15 charges have been filed against him in the Yerwada police station. Similarly four charges have been filed against Sheikh Ashraf Anwar, who is also a resident of Yerwada.

The police said Bhanushali's murder is part of a conspiracy hatched by another former BJP MLA Chhabil Patel and one Manisha Goswami.

Manisha Goswami was arrested on June 10, 2018, and she was in the judicial custody till August 3. Chhabil Patel and one Surjit Pardeshi Bhau had helped Manisha Patel get out of the custody and since then they were in contact with each other.

Together with some others, they hatched a plan to kill Jayanti Bhanushali in Pune last November.