Bengaluru, Jan 14 (IANS): The Karnataka Police have arrested a man on charges of hammering his live-in partner to death over suspicion. The accused tried to misguide the investigation by trying to project the cause of death as excessive consumption of alcohol, police said on Friday.

The incident took place last week at a rented accommodation of the 45-year-old accused person in Beereshwaranagar near Chunchaghatta Main Road in Bengaluru. The accused identified as Manjunath is a bar bender.

According to police, Manjunath was in a relationship with Manjula, the deceased, a housekeeping staff at an insurance company. Manjunath had assaulted the victim with a hammer on ribs, legs and killed her on January 6. He later maintained that she had fallen unconscious after consuming alcohol.

The accused took her to hospital the next day, where she was declared dead. When doctors suspected that the death had occurred much earlier and questioned Manjunath, he left the body and disappeared.

The deceased Manjula, mother of two children lived with Manjunath for two years. Her husband went missing eight years ago and never returned. The accused Manjunath, whom she lived with suspected her character and fought over the issue.

On January 6, Manjunath lost his temper after a quarrel and assaulted her with a hammer on ribs and legs. The next day, pretending as if nothing happened, he told people that she had fallen unconscious after consuming alcohol and took her to a hospital in an auto. The police who took up the investigation suspected his role and a post-mortem report confirmed their suspicions following which Manjunath was arrested.