KOLLAM: A youth has been arrested in connection with the death of 32-year-old woman identified as Uma Prasannan, who went missing a week ago. Uma, who was staying in a rented house at Mamood near Mundankara Madan Temple at Kottankara in Elampalloor, was found dead in a railway quarters near Chemmam Mukku in Kollam. The arrested is Nazu (24) of Anchal. The police had earlier taken him into custody. The youth has been accused of having caused her death. More charges will be imposed after getting the post-mortem report. He is being interrogated further.

Nazu’s statement to the police was that he met the woman at Kollam beach on December 29. He then took her to an abandoned building belonging to the railways and they engaged in sex here. As she developed seizures during sex, he left her there and went. He also told police that he inflicted injures on her body with a blade.

The body was found in the railway quarters which had been closed for many years opposite the Bharath Ranji Parish Hall on the railway station-Chemmam Mukku Road on Tuesday at 5 pm.

The naked body was found lying on the ground in the back room of the quarters. The body had deep wounds which was ten centimetres long on the left side of her head and below her right breast. The blood on the floor was found dried up. The body was found during an inspection after a foul smell emanated from the quarters.

Police dog squad and forensic team reached the spot and collected evidence. A team led by Kollam DCRB ACP is investigating the case. After the post-mortem at Paripally Medical College, the body was cremated. Her husband Biju died in 2014. She is survived by two daughters Nidhi and Nandana, aged three and seven.

Uma was working as a lottery ticket seller before she got a job in a private firm as a sales girl. A complaint lodged by her mother said that she went for work on December 29 and later when she tried to contact her on her mobile it was switched off.

On December 31 during patrolling at Kottiyam junction, the police had seized her mobile phone from Nazu of Anchal. He told police that he found the mobile at the beach. The police later handed it over to her mother. However, the phone did not have a SIM.