CHENNAI: Days after he allegedly murdered his lover, a 38-year-old woman, and fled the city, the Chennai police arrested a 37-year-old man from Kanpur on Wednesday.

The Kolathur police identified the arrested as Mohsin Ansari of Kanpur. The police said Mohsin was in a relationship with the deceased woman, Saraswathi, a native of Virudhachalam, for the past few months.

Saraswathi was married to a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, and the couple has two sons. The police said that Mohsin came to know about her marriage and children only on Friday, and started an argument with her. He then strangled her to death, the police said. The suspect fled with her two mobile phones and a two-wheeler.

He went to Dr MGR Chennai Central railway station on her two-wheeler and escaped to Kanpur on a train, only to be traced and arrested on Wednesday. Saraswathi's family has said that half a sovereign gold jewel is also missing, police said.

He was produced at a court there and a process to bring him to Chennai is under way.