- A 35-year-old woman who had been reported missing was found buried in private banana plantation in Tamil Nadu
- Investigators have arrested a 27-year-old man with whom she was allegedly in a relationship
- A police officer said the murder was triggered by the woman’s persistent request for marriage
A 35-year-old woman who had been reported missing was found murdered and buried in a private banana plantation in Tamil Nadu's Erode district, police said. Investigators have arrested a 27-year-old man with whom she was allegedly in a relationship.
Police recovered the woman's body from a three-foot-deep pit in farmland near Gobichettipalayam town after locals, who had entered the field to gather mushrooms following rain, spotted a bloodstained knife and strands of hair protruding from the soil.
The victim has been identified as Sonia, a beautician from Appakudal town. She had been missing since November 2. Her family filed a missing complaint after she did not return home from work. Sonia, a widow for the past two years, lived with her school-going son, daughter, and mother.
Investigations revealed call records linking her to the accused, Mohan Kumar, a B.Com graduate and owner of the banana plantation where the body was found. Police have detained and questioned him.
A police officer told NDTV that the two were in a relationship and added, "The lady kept asking him to marry her, and this triggered the murder."
According to police sources, Sonia and Mohan Kumar first met two years ago while working at a garment factory near Gobichettipalayam. Over time, they developed a relationship and met frequently at his farmland.
Police said Mohan Kumar allegedly dug a pit in his farm on the day of the crime and called Sonia there around 8:00 pm. After spending time together, he reportedly attacked her with a stone and stabbed her in the neck with a small knife, killing her. He then buried her body and disposed of her phone and clothes near the Bhavani canal.
The accused is also said to have returned to the scene the next morning and acted unaware when police began inquiries.
Officers from Siruvalur Police Station, along with revenue officials and a medical team from Perundurai Government Medical College, conducted an on-site examination and post-mortem. Mohan Kumar has since been arrested and remanded for alleged murder. Further investigation is under way.
