Thiruvananthapuram, October 20 (). Police have arrested a migrant laborer from West Bengal. The accused is accused of killing his wife and hiding the body near an under-construction house.
The accused Soni SK (31) was detained by the Ayar Kunnam police from Ernakulam South Railway Station on Sunday when he was trying to escape.
The woman has been identified as Alpana Khatun (28), a resident of Murshidabad, West Bengal.
According to the police, the woman was murdered on suspicion of infidelity. The couple was living in a rented house at Amayanur in Ayar Kunnam with their two children for the last two years. Soni, a construction worker, reportedly suspected Alpana of having an affair with another migrant labourer, Prakash.
Despite repeated fights and objections, Alpana was reportedly in touch with Prakash. She even left her family and went to live with Prakash for some time.
On October 14, Soni allegedly took Alpana to a construction site at Ellappani at around 6.15 am. There was a heated argument between the two around 7.30 am, during which Soni allegedly attacked Alpana.
The accused strangled her and killed her by hitting her with a rod. After this he dug a pit behind the house and hid the body in it.
Three days later, Soni herself lodged a missing complaint with the police, claiming that Alpana had gone to the market and did not return. However, CCTV footage showing the couple heading towards the construction site on the morning of the incident exposed the incident.
When the police took strict action, the accused went missing along with his children on 18 October. The mobile phone trace led investigators to Ernakulam South Railway Station, where a police team led by Sub-Inspector Saju T. Lukose arrested him.
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MS/ABM
