Two of those arrested had sustained bullet injuries when Tamang’s bodyguard fired in self-defence and were admitted to hospital on May 21. They were taken into custody today after they recovered while a third person, Suresh Rai Majhi, was arrested from Darjeeling’s Rajbari area this morning, said police sources.

K L Tamta, IG, North Bengal, confirmed the arrest of Majhi, who was one of the 24 persons named by the CID investigating team earlier. He was produced before the court today and remanded in 10-day police custody, said Tamta.

The other two, Prashant Chhetri and Subhash Tamang, were allegedly part of the armed group that had pounced on Madan Tamang as he was going to address a public rally in the heart of Darjeeling town on May 21.

Senior police sources said a CID team was still trailing the other accused in the case and they some were still in Sikkim, where the assailants were believed to have escaped initially.