Andhra Pradesh woman murder: Man arrested near Periyapalayam

CHENNAI: A 46-year-old man was arrested in connection with the death of a woman from Andhra Pradesh, whose dead body was recovered from an agricultural field in Uthukottai on Friday. The accused was identified as S Bharathi Raja of Othattur Kandigai in Tiruvallur.

A special team arrested him near Periyapalayam on Saturday morning. On Friday, Police recovered the body of the woman, later identified as M Aruna.

Aruna hailed from Chittoor and had come to Uthukottai to attend a wedding. She had been staying at a relative’s house in Vadattur Kandigai, police said. Probe revealed that Bharathi Raja and Aruna were allegedly in an extramarital relationship. However, he had started avoiding her recently, following which she pestered him to meet her and explain his reluctance to continue their relationship.

On Friday, after Aruna allegedly called him continuously, Raja came to meet her and took her to a vacant agricultural field and attacked her with an iron rod, leading to her death. Police suspect that he poured an automotive lubricant on her face and set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The accused was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.