The Malpe police have arrested three persons in connection with the murder of 52-year-old Saifuddin, the owner of AKMS Transport, which operated private buses, at Kodavoor in Udupi on Saturday. The accused have been identified as Mohammed Faizal Khan, 27, of Badagabettu village of Udupi taluk, Mohammed Sharief, 37, of Shivalli village of Udupi taluk, and Abdul Shukoor, 43, of Katipalla in Mangaluru taluk. Faizal Khan was a driver in AKMS transport and close confidante of Saifuddin, the victim. On Saturday morning, Saifuddin and Faizal Khan went in a car from the former’s house in Manipal to his second house in Kodavoor, where Faizal Khan joined Sharief and Shukoor and hacked Saifuddin to death, the police said. Saifuddin was accused in 18 criminal cases, including two murder cases.