Ludhiana, April 23 -- Khanna police on Wednesday arrested three more persons for allegedly harbouring the accused in the Payal grain market firing case, taking the total number of arrests to seven. One suspect, Gaurav alias Gola, remains absconding.

The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Shafiq and Umar Rafi, both residents of Paddi village in Dehlon tehsil, and Sharif Ali of Bandevala village in Ropar district. Police said the trio provided shelter to the main accused after the April 14 incident and helped them evade arrest. Sharif Ali is facing four criminal cases, while Shafiq was out on parole in a murder case.

Senior superintendent of police Darpan Ahluwalia said the arrests are part of an intensified crackdown on or...