KOCHI: Police have made the first arrest in the Rajesh murder case and recovered a sword, allegedly used to kill the radio jockey, on Thursday.

The special police team arrested Sanu, a Kollam native, the owner of the house where the quotation team had lived, police said and added that he played a role in the conspiracy to eliminate Rajesh Kumar.

The assailants, it is learnt, had stayed in Sanu’s house before and after the murder.

During investigation, police found that NRI businessman Abdul Sathar, husband of the woman with whom Rajesh is believed to have had a relationship, had funded the murder. Sathar had married the woman, who was from another community and married her in Qatar. They have two children.

The woman got close to Rajesh when he was working in Qatar. It is learnt that she had moved court for separation.

Police said Sathar had sent ‘quotation’ money to a gym instructor Salih bin Jalal of Ooachira in Kollam. He was assisted by his former students Yasin and Nikhil.