Kottayam: Police have arrested a West Bengal native for allegedly murdering his wife and burying her body near an under-construction house in Ayarkunnam, Kottayam district, officials said on Sunday.
The accused has been identified as Soni SK (31), a native of Dharapara in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Soni was working as a construction labourer in Ayarkunnam and was taken into custody at a railway station in Ernakulam while allegedly attempting to flee to his hometown.
Soni is accused of murdering his wife, Alpana Khathoon (28), also from Murshidabad, and burying her near the construction site where the couple worked. According to police, he lodged a missing persons complaint on October 17, claiming Khathoon had gone missing three days earlier.
In his statement, Soni said Khathoon had accompanied him to the market around 8 am on October 14, but was not at home when he returned from work at 6:30 pm. Police grew suspicious as he reported the incident only after three days. CCTV footage from the area showed no trace of the woman, prompting further investigation.
Soni was asked to appear for questioning on Saturday at 4 pm but failed to cooperate and reportedly left for Ernakulam to board a train to West Bengal with his two children. Acting on a tip-off, police detained him and brought him back to Ayarkunnam for interrogation.
During questioning, Soni allegedly confessed to strangling Khathoon and hitting her on the head with an iron rod on the morning of October 14 at the construction site. He then buried her body near the workplace. Police said Soni committed the murder on suspicion that his wife was having an extramarital affair.
By around 3 pm, Soni led police to the spot where he had buried Khathoon. Her body was recovered after excavation. Following the crime scene procedure, the accused was shifted to the police station, where his arrest was recorded. He is expected to be produced before the court as part of the remand process, officials said.
With PTI inputs