The Ernakulam Rural police on Tuesday arrested a 21-year-old in connection with the murder of a transgender person, Gowri, near Aluva last week.
The accused was identified as Abhilash Kumar, a native of Annamanada in Thrissur.
According to the police, the accused had reached Aluva by train from Satara in Maharashtra on the day of the crime and picked up an argument with the victim later in the evening. The argument soon escalated into fisticuffs, during which the accused strangled her to death. Following this, the accused dragged the body to an isolated location and covered it with asbestos sheets before fleeing the scene.
The body of Gowri was found in the bushes near the railway track in Aluva Thuruth. An examination of her body revealed marks on the neck, suspected to be caused during strangulation.
Gowri, earlier known by the name Murukesan, was part of the transgender community in the town and was working as a labourer in the construction sector in Aluva for the past few years.
