Electrician arrested for woman’s murder in Yercaud

A 33-year-old woman was found murdered in a private hostel at Yercaud in Salem district on Monday night, leading to the arrest of a man with whom she had been in contact through social media for several years, the police said.
The victim was identified as Sala, wife of Govindaraj, a resident of the Air Kolapatti area near Eriyur in Dharmapuri district.
Police said hostel staff alerted them after a room rented by a couple earlier in the day remained locked for several hours, raising suspicion. Police personnel rushed to the spot and found the woman dead inside the room. Preliminary investigation revealed that she had been strangled.
The body was sent to Salem Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.According to the police, Sala had checked into the hostel around 1 p.m. along with a man in his mid-30s. CCTV footage showed the man leaving the hostel premises around 6 p.m., after which the room remained locked from outside.
When staff opened the door later in the night, the woman was found dead. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was Parthiban, 35, an electrician from the Ilampillai Theppakuttai area in Salem district.
Police said Sala, who had two children aged 15 and 13, was living separately from her husband following marital differences and was staying at her mother’s house.
During this period, she had come into contact with Parthiban through Instagram, and the two had been in touch for nearly four years. Parthiban is also married, police said.
On Sunday, the two reportedly travelled to Yercaud and checked into the hostel. An argument allegedly broke out between them over financial issues, during which Parthiban is said to have strangled the woman and fled.
Police traced and arrested Parthiban from his residence at Ilampillai. He is currently being interrogated as investigations continue.