Mumbai, Jul 4 (IANS): People of Palghar were shocked as the sensational case of a shopkeeper - who allegedly killed a 32-year old woman customer and later had sex with her corpse - unravelled at the height of the ongoing lockdown, police officials said here on Saturday.

The accused Shiva Choudhary, 30, owner of a novelty shop in Nalasopara town was arrested on Friday and remanded to police custody till July 12, said crime branch official Santosh Gurjar.

The probe started when a resident of Priyanka Complex on Achole Talav Road registered a complaint with Tulinj Police Station a day after his wife went missing on June 26.

Guarjar said that according to investigations, the victim had gone to make some household purchases at Choudhary's shop on June 26 and had an altercation with him on the price of some goods.

After the brawl, Choudhary slapped the victim, dragged her by the hair to the back of his shop, tried to strangulate her and then slit her throat with a knife.

Around 3 a.m. of June 27, Choudhary wrapped her body and carried it to a jeep van parked around half a km from his shop and dumped it there.

A day later on June 28, locals complained of a foul stench emanating from the van and alerted the police. A team was rushed to find the body which was later identified by her husband.

The autopsy report also made the shocking revelation - that she had been sexually assaulted after her murder.

Hot footing into the probe, police teams fanned out in the area and after scanning the CCTV footage of the neighbourhood, zeroed in on the possible suspect Choudhary.

"He was picked up and during sustained interrogation, confessed to murdering the woman and then having sex with her corpse. Thereafter, he was placed under arrest and further investigations are on," Gurjar told IANS.

A police official said that Choudhary was living alone in the shop as his wife and children are in Pali village of Rajasthan since nearly a year, and could not control his urge after killing the woman.

"He had no previous acquaintance with the victim and we shall also probe whether he had any mental issues after he violated the body," said the official.

Gurjar, who helped crack this first of its kind case in the district, said the accused is charged with murder and rape.