Police have arrested a 22-year-old youth from Assam for allegedly strangulating his live-in partner in a mill quarters yesterday in Sulur on the outskirts.

The body of Indu alias Chitradevi, was found hanging from the fan, with her dupatta around her neck and police suspected the hand of her partner, Abdul Jabbar alias Nazar, in the act. A special police team managed to arrest Abdul, while he was trying to flee to his native place by train late last night, police said.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that the pair, claiming to be a married couple, joined the spinning mill in Nadupalayam and were staying in the employee quarters on the premises.

The neighbours, who had heard the couple quarrelling on Sunday night, found Chitra hanging dead in the morning, with Abdul missing.

Investigation led to further information that Chitra, already married with two kids, was in an illicit relationship with Abdul. Her husband left for his native place in Virudhunagar as Chitra continued the relationship despite warnings.

The quarrel erupted between the two over marriage, with Chitra forcing Abdul to marry her and to give her his earnings, which led to him allegedly murdering her.