Bhubaneswar: Dhauli police here on Wednesday arrested a key accused in connection with the alleged murder of a youth during celebratory firing with an illegal firearm in the Sisupalgarh area on Nov 5. The accused, Somanath Gajendra (29), had been on the run since the incident. His elder brother, Chitrasen Gajendra (32), was among eight men arrested earlier in the case.Police said Somanath played an active role in the crime and allegedly attempted to destroy evidence after the incident. “Our investigation revealed that Somanath was involved in the offence. He threw the illegal pistol into a canal and concealed ammunition at his house in an attempt to evade detection,” a police officer said.Police also suspect that Somanath assisted previously arrested co-accused Umesh Kumar Pattanayak (30), who was believed to have purchased the firearm used in the incident. The arrest comes a day after Dhauli police secured a two-day remand of Chitrasen and Umesh to trace the source of the illegal weapon and uncover the circumstances surrounding its procurement.“We are examining the chain of procurement of the firearm and verifying the role of each accused. Efforts are on to identify the supplier and determine whether similar illegal weapons have been circulated in the area,” the officer added.According to police, what began as a late-night liquor party among friends to celebrate the purchase of the firearm ended in tragedy when Tapu Nayak (25) was allegedly shot dead ‘accidentally’ during celebratory firing.