CHENNAI: A 20-year-old nursing student was murdered by her lover in a hotel room in Chromepet on Friday. The accused then clicked her photo and uploaded it as his WhatsApp status.

Police said the deceased Baucia of Kollam district in Kerala was studying for second-year nursing at a private college in Chrompet and was staying in a private women’s hostel. Baucia was in a relationship with Ashiq (20), also from Kerala, for the past five years and both of them used to meet often outside the women’s hostel.

Baucia did not attend college for the last three days, and on Friday, the couple had booked a room in a hotel in Chromepet to spend time together. Police said at the hotel, Baucia happened to check Ashiq’s mobile phone and came across messages and photographs confirming his relationship with several other women. Soon, the couple started to argue and in the heat of the argument, Ashiq strangled Baucia using his t-shirt.

After the incident, Ashiq clicked her photographs and uploaded the same as his WhatsApp status. In the evening, Baucia’s friends who saw his WhatsApp status were shocked and rushed to the hotel only to find Baucia lying dead in the room.

On information, Chromepet police visited the spot, retrieved the body and sent it for post-mortem to the Chromepet GH. After a search, they arrested Ashiq. During inquiry, they found that the couple had married secretly when they were 16, and Baucia had given birth to a baby. After that, Ashiq was arrested under the Pocso Act and was sent to prison.

The baby was taken care of in a children’s home. Police said after getting released from prison, Ashiq and Baucia used to meet often and spend time together. On several occasions, they quarrelled with each other outside the hostel. The police have registered a case and further investigation is on.