The police on Friday arrested a 20-year-old construction worker from West Bengal on the charge of murdering a 56-year-old housewife at Iriya, near here, on Wednesday.
Abul Shaikh, a native of Murshidabad district, was arrested under IPC Section 302 (murder) two days after C. Leela, wife of Ambutty, was found dead inside her residence at Podavadukkam. He was remanded in judicial custody on Friday, the police said.
Strangled to death
With the autopsy examination report confirming strangulation marks on the woman’s neck, the police questioned four migrant labourers from West Bengal who were engaged in the renovation of the woman’s house.
A gold chain worn by the victim was found wrapped in a towel and was found on the house premises.
The police came to the conclusion that the crime was committed to rob the chain off the woman, he said.
The body was found inside the bathroom by her younger son when he returned home from school on Wednesday.
Preliminary investigation carried out by a team of police led by Ambalathara sub-inspector Vipin Chandran first took the four migrant labourers, who were staying close to the victim’s residence, into custody and the confession made by Abul Shaikh made the vital breakthrough in the murder case.
