"We have arrested H R Parihar, former senior superintendent of police Ganderbal, and Bahadur Ram, deputy superintendent of Police in connection with the disappearance and subsequent murder of Abdul Rehman Paddar, "S M Sahai, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir zone told newsmen in Srinagar on Saturday.

Parihar and Ram had been removed from their duties after the unearthing of the fake encounter scandal early this week.

Paddar's body was exhumed by the authorities from a north Kashmir graveyard in north Kashmir Baramulla district on February 1 and his father had identified the body after the exhumation.

Authorities are carrying out three more exhumations in Srinagar on Saturday. Of these, two are being carried out at a graveyard in Ajas village, 42 km from Srinagar in the Baramulla border district and the third at Kangan town, 30 km north of Srinagar district.

An assistant sub-inspector of police, Farooq Ahmad Guddoo and a Farooq Ahmad Paddar, a selection grade constable of Special Operations Group have already been arrested in connection with the forced disappearance and subsequent murder of the south Kashmir village carpenter.