CHENNAI: A day after the body of a pregnant woman was recovered from a drainage canal in Sriperumbudur, police arrested her lover in connection with the murder.

The deceased woman was identified as M Devi who was residing in Madhuramangalam near Sriperumbudur and was a few months pregnant. Police said that she was running an embroidery business from her house. On Thursday, she had gone out to buy raw materials but did not return home. As she was nowhere to be found, her husband, Murugan, had filed a police complaint.

On Saturday, as residents were attempting to remove a block from a drainage canal in Thirumangalam village, they saw a foot in the canal and informed the police about it. Personnel from the Sunguvar Chathiram police station rushed to the scene and recovered the body of the missing woman and sent it for post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, as per police investigation, the woman was reportedly in an extramarital relationship with D Ravi (26) of Madhuramangalam village for over a year. On Thursday, the two had met and an argument broke out. Ravi hit Devi who fell unconscious. He pushed her into the canal and fled the scene.

Ravi claimed that he had hit Devi in a fit of rage, which had led to her death, police said.

He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.