Man Arrested Near Uthukottai for Murder of Andhra Pradesh Woman

A 46-year-old man was arrested on Saturday near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district in connection with the murder of a 45-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh near Uthukottai.

The suspect has been identified as S Bharathi Raja, a resident of Othattur Kandigai in Tiruvallur district. The deceased woman, identified as Aruna, wife of Manjunatha, was a resident of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. Police stated that she had recently travelled to the area to attend a marriage ceremony.

According to investigators, Bharathi Raja and Aruna had been in a relationship. The two had been having frequent arguments after Bharathi Raja began avoiding her. On Friday, Aruna contacted him repeatedly, prompting him to arrange a meeting with her near Uthukottai.

Police said Bharathi Raja took Aruna to a vacant agricultural field in the locality. During an altercation, he attacked her with an iron rod and punched her in the face. She sustained severe injuries, collapsed, and died at the spot.

Following the assault, the accused allegedly poured motor lubricant on her face. Her body was subsequently discovered near the field. While initial reports led to suspicions that her face had been disfigured in an acid attack, police later ruled out that possibility, confirming that the injuries on her body were not consistent with acid burns.

The Uthukottai police registered a murder case against Bharathi Raja and launched a search, leading to his arrest near Periyapalayam on Saturday morning. Official postmortem and forensic reports are awaited as part of the ongoing investigation. Bharathi Raja was produced before a magistrate and subsequently remanded to Puzhal prison.