The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday urged a designated court in Bhandara district of Maharashtra to discharge 35 of the 46 persons arrested in the Khairlanji Dalit massacre case.

The counsel of the agency, investigating the September 28 killing of four members of the Bhotmange family, moved an application in this regard before the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) P Y Ladekar at Mohadi.

The court, however, did not take up the matter on Monday.

The arrested 35 persons are currenly on bail while 11 are in judicial custody, which was on Monday further extended till February 22 by the court in Mohadi, about 75 km from Nagpur.

Surekha Bhotmange, her daughter Priyanka, sons Sudhir and Vishal were killed by a mob in Khairlanji village.

A few weeks after the killings, parts of Maharashtra witnessed widespread violent protests by Dalits.

The case was initially probed by state CID but was later handed over to the CBI, which had filed a chargesheet against 11 accused in December 2006.