The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of real estate agent Veeranparambil Rajeev, on Wednesday ordered the arrest of criminal lawyer CP Udayabhanu from his brother's residence at Tripunithura.

According to the police, Udayabhanu will be produced before a court on Thursday, reports TOI.

Superintendent of police (Thrissur) G H Yathish Chandra said the police “arrested him as per a plan that was being worked out from the morning.”

On October 31, the senior advocate was denied anticipatory bail by the Kerala High Court.

Meanwhile, Udayabhanu's wife Thenrajam claims that he had surrendered before the police.

Police sources confirmed that the advocate was pressured into reaching the residence of his brother, CP Pratapan.

Police said, “The brother, who was under pressure, asked Udayabhanu to reach his house at Tripunithura and we arrested him”, the report says.

Reportedly, Udayabhanu had gone into hiding ever since the high court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on Tuesday evening.

Police said that they had put pressure on Udyabhanu’s brother as efforts by the police to trace the accused did not yield results.

Udayabhanu was made the seventh accused in the murder case by the SIT on October 16.

The 46-year-old Rajeev was found strangulated to death in a deserted building near Chalakudy in Thrissur in the last week of September.

He had complained to the DGP, three months back, about a threat from Udayabhanu and Johny.

According to the police, Udayabhanu and Rajeev were once friends but the relationship soured after Rajeev allegedly failed to fulfil terms of a real estate deal last year.

Udayabhanu allegedly assigned the gang to kidnap Rajeev and get him to sign on some documents, but it ended in his murder.

A four-member gang and two others, including another realty dealer named Johny, were arrested soon after the incident, reports Indian Express.