Passerby alerted the authorities after a foul smell emanated from the canal banks after which the decomposed human body was recovered and sent to a government hospital for post mortem.

Police reviewed CCTV footage from the neighbourhood and found a woman dragging a bag and dumping it in a sewer. A police team traced the woman, Ambika (57), who told investigators that she stabbed her husband to death as he physically assaulted her every time he got drunk.

Ambika resided with her husband, Santhanam, at Annai Sathya Nagar. He was a security guard while she worked as a domestic help, police said. Probe revealed that Santhanam was a habitual drinker who frequently assaulted his wife.

According to investigators, the incident occurred about one week earlier when Santhanam returned home drunk and began arguing with Ambika. During the quarrel, she allegedly stabbed him with a kitchen knife, causing his death. Police said Ambika kept the body inside the house for several days before dumping it in a nearby canal.