Five prominent Indian activists have been arrested in connection with caste-based violence in the western state of Maharashtra earlier this year.

Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Varavara Rao were picked up from their homes in different Indian cities.

Police in Pune later confirmed that Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira were also under arrest.

The homes of other leftist lawyers and scholars were also raided as part of an investigation into the violence.

Five others with Maoist links were arrested in June in connection with the same investigation.

Police say that the activists incited Dalits (formerly untouchables) at a large public rally on 31 December 2017, leading to violent clashes that left one person dead.