A staff member of a Congress minister in Kerala and his friend were arrested Tuesday over the murder of a woman sweeper employed by the party at one of their offices near here.
 
 Police arrested Biju Nair, a personal staff member of state Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed, and his friend Shamsudin. Following interrogation, both admitted to having committed the crime.
 
 The victim was a sweeper at the Congress party office at Nilambur, the constituency that Mohammed has been representing for over three decades now. Angry opposition party workers Tuesday marched to the Congress party office protesting against the crime.
 
 The victim's body was recovered from a pond about 10 km from the office.
 
 Inspector general of police S. Gopinath has been asked to head the probe after CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the two arrested are mere scapegoats. "This arrest has been done to save some bigwigs," said Vijayan. The CPI-M has Wednesday called for a day-long shutdown in Nilambur to protest the murder.
 
 Meanwhile, in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters that law will take its course and the arrest was a very fast job by the police.
 
 State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran said the party will not support or help the guilty.
 
 Meanwhile, Mohammed terminated the services of Nair and said he was prepared to face any probe. "I am here and he is there and let there be any probe," he said Mohammed.
 
 After the preliminary investigation, the police said no rape had occurred and the final report would be ready once the autopsy is conducted.