CHENNAI: A 31-year-old auto driver surrendered to police in Chennai on Sunday night after allegedly murdering his partner. The incident occurred near the Manali fire station following a quarrel about her recent disappearance.

The accused, Govindaraj, had been living with 30-year-old Priyanka for two years after she separated from her husband. According to police, Priyanka left home last Wednesday without explanation and returned only on Sunday night. After a confrontation about her four-day absence, the couple briefly reconciled and went out to purchase alcohol.

They then took an auto-rickshaw to an isolated spot near the Manali fire station. There, Govindaraj again questioned Priyanka, leading to a heated argument. In a fit of rage, he allegedly broke a liquor bottle and used the shards to stab her repeatedly in the chest, stomach, neck, and face, leaving her to bleed to death.

Following the attack, Govindaraj drove directly to the Vyasarpadi police station and confessed. Officers transferred the case to the Manali police, whose jurisdiction included the crime scene. The police recovered Priyanka's body and sent it for a post-mortem examination. Govindaraj has been arrested on murder charges and remanded to judicial custody.