The Chelur police on Thursday arrested a farmer for allegedly killing his female friend who is said to have left him for another man.
The accused Venkatesh was tracked down by the police based on technical evidence they obtained from the scene of crime, sources said.
According to the police, Venkatesh had an illicit affair with the deceased Narasamma, 40, a shepherd from Gollapalli village in Chickballapur district.
Venkatesh told the police that he came to know that the deceased was cheating on him and had started avoiding him. After repeated attempts, Venkatesh on Wednesday confronted her at an open filed and the duo had a heated argument.
In the melee, Venkatesh strangulated her with her own sari and also stuffed the sari in her mouth to stop her from screaming, said the police.
The accused later dumped her body in a bush and escaped. The murder came to light when Narasamma did not return home even after late night and the family members went in search for her and later found her body.
Based on the information, the Chelur police tracked down Venkatesh for further investigation.
