The D Nagar police on Saturday arrested a 31-year-old man on charges of strangling a 37-year-old woman and her six-month-old son and dumping their bodies in the Sitheri canal in the neighbouring Villupuram district.
The accused, Prabhakaran of Pillaithottam, an autorickshaw driver was arrested after an inquiry into a man missing complaint.
Police said the victim, a resident of Vanarapet had an extramarital relationship with Prabhakaran. She along with her infant son left her house on November 25 after informing her sister that she was going to meet Prabhakaran and persuade him to marry her.
When the victim did not return home, her sister lodged a complaint with the D Nagar police. Preliminary investigations revealed that Prabhakaran had murdered the woman and her child when she compelled him to marry her.
The accused strangled them both and dumped their bodies in the Sitheri Lake. The bodies were retrieved and sent for post-mortem.
Prabhakaran was remanded in custody.
