Bhubaneswar: Mumbai police have arrested a man for allegedly killing his live-in partner, who hailed from Odisha, and stuffing her body in a suitcase in Kurla area, an official said on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Pratima Pawal Kispatta (25) of Bandalikani village under Lephripada police limits in Sundargarh district. Accused Askar Manoj Barla (22), who also hails from Sundargarh, was taken into custody on Monday for allegedly strangling Pratima on Saturday evening.

The motive behind the killing appears to be suspicion of her having an affair with another man, according to the official.

According to reports, Askar and Pratima met during their return journey to their home state from Mumbai during the COVID lockdown. They were residing in Mumbai's Dharavi area.

"The Mumbai police have resolved the murder case of the woman whose body was discovered in a suitcase in Kurla. The accused was apprehended when he was attempting to flee to his hometown," stated the official.

Body of Pratima, concealed in a suitcase, was found on Sunday morning on the CST Road bridge at Chembur-Santacruz Road in Kurla West.

The two met each other during their bus journey to Odisha during the pandemic and developed a relationship upon returning to Mumbai. They started living in Dharavi, with Askar working in a sweet mart and Pratima employed as a maid. However, she had been at home for the past few months.

"Askar suspected his live-in partner of being involved in relationship with someone else, leading to frequent quarrels between them," said DCP (Detection) Raj Tilak Roshan during a media briefing.

The fatal altercation occurred on Saturday evening, culminating in Askar strangling Pratima in a fit of rage. Subsequently, he decided to dispose of her body by placing it in a suitcase. He then took an auto-rickshaw to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in the early hours of Sunday, intending to transport the body out of Mumbai from there, the official said.

Upon reaching LTT, Askar changed his plans and left the station with the suitcase. While heading towards Kurla West, he encountered barricades due to Metro project work. He left the suitcase behind the barricade, returned to LTT, waited for some time, and in the morning, boarded the Godan Express to exit the city, leaving the suitcase at that location, according to police.

Realizing that the Godan Express did not head to Odisha, Askar alighted at Thane, where he purchased new tickets for Odisha. Until the train's arrival, he roamed in Thane city and purchased a new SIM card for his mobile phone.

The woman's sister from Odisha, upon seeing her photo on social media, contacted an official from the Mumbai crime branch, providing crucial information about the case.

The crime branch scrutinized CCTV footage from various locations, including the crime scene and LTT station, narrowing down the suspect. Utilizing technical support, the officials swiftly reached Thane station, detaining Askar before he could board the train to Odisha.

Askar was brought to the Mumbai crime branch, where he confessed to the murder.