PARIS: French police has arrested four school students in connection with the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, who showed controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his pupils.

According to a BBC report, the other detainees include four family members of the killer, a father at the school and a known Islamist radical.

Police carried out some 40 raids on the homes of suspected radicals on Monday and more raids are expected.

Tens of thousands of people took part in rallies across the country on Sunday to honour Paty and defend freedom of speech.

With inputs from Agencies)