Kochi, Jan 12 (IANS): A man in Kerala's Kochi was arrested on Thursday for murdering his wife about 17 months back, and claiming she had run away.

Sajeevan was taken into custody after the police questioned him for three days over the mysterious disappearance of his 32-year-old wife Remya on August 16, 2021.

According to the police, Sajeevan finally admitted that on August 16, 2021, he and his wife Remya had a tiff and in a fit of rage, he strangulated her to death.

After keeping the body in his house in the day, he dug a pit near the car porch and in the night, he buried her there.

Later he told his children that their mother has gone away with another man and asked them to keep a secret as it would affect the future of all.

He then tutored his children to say that it should be told that she has gone to do a course in Bengaluru so as to fetch a job abroad.

Then Sajeevan registered a man missing complaint with the police but Remya's brother was unconvinced and he filed a complaint with the police. However, nothing happened since then.

Things changed after the Kerala Police decided to reopen all missing cases in the wake of the sensational news of two women being murdered, allegedly as part of a human sacrifice ritual, came to light in the state when the dismembered bodies of the women were recovered from the house of Laila and her husband at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district in October.

Since then the police was keeping a close tab on Sajeevan and he was called in for questioning several times.

It was early this week that the police sensed that he was hiding something and grilled him extensively, leading him to break down and confess to having committed the murder of his wife.

The police have by now exhumed the mortal remains from the pit and after the scientific examination is done, will the police be able to confirm that the remains are of Remya.