The murder had stunned the Jain community country-wide, especially the arrest of two prominent business magnates in the city, including Dr Champalal Desarda and Suwalal Chalnani. Both have been accused of conspiring to kill the 65-year-old muni.

While Desarda was the working president of the education trust run by the ashram, Chalnani was its secretary. Police have also arrested Chalnani's son Sandeep, his friend Balu Suarna, the principal of the DKMM Homoeopathic College run by the ashram, Dr Shantilal Desarda, and a supervisor at the ashram Bhikchand Pipada, under Section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sanjay Bhadawe, who is accused of having executed the murder as per a contract given to him by the other accused, hasbeen charged under Section 302 of the IPC. The police commissioner says Bhadawe has confessed to the murder while Pipada too has stated on record that he had given Bhadawe Rs 50,000 of the total Rs 2 lakh that the trustees and the principal had asked him to pay Bhadawe.

Police now say the meeting to discuss the conspiracy was held at the residence of Suwalal Chalnani and not Dr Champalal Desarda. Earlier, while pleading for an extension of remand, police had claimed the meeting was held at Dr Desarda's residence.

The defence had however denied this, saying Dr Desarda was in mourning following mother's death on June 20, two days before the meeting. How can a man grieving over his mother's death think of murder even as hundreds of people visited him to offer their condolences, the counsels had argued.