New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS): A 31-year-old man has been arrested for killing his landlady -- a 60-year-old woman, and then stuffing her body in the under-storage of the bed, the police said on Saturday.

The arrested individual has been identified as Devender a.k.a Dev, a native of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh.

Asha Devi, a resident of Dilshad Garden area, was reported missing on December 10 by her son, Mahavir Singh, when she did not return after going to collect rent from her tenants.

Asha Devi had gone to collect rent at Devender's house.

On Friday, family members complained of foul smell emanating from the ground floor of their house in Harsh Vihar.

Upon opening the bed-box in the ground floor bedroom, they found Asha Devi's body wrapped in plastic.

Forensic and Crime Teams inspected the scene, and the decomposed body was shifted to GTB Mortuary for post-mortem examination.

A case of kidnapping and murder was registered, leading the investigators to focus on Devender, one of the deceased's tenants who had been missing since December 10.

"The police tracked Devender to Aligarh, and apprehended him on Saturday. During questioning, Devender confessed to the crime, revealing a disturbing motive," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey.

According to his statement, Devender and Asha had developed a close relationship over the years but he became involved with another girl living in the same house. Planning to marry the new acquaintance, Devender and the girl had a Roka ceremony on December 4 in Aligarh, with the wedding scheduled for February 2024.

However, Asha Devi disapproved of the marriage and both were engaged in a heated exchange of words on December 10.

During the confrontation, Devender claimed that Asha threatened to disrupt his plans and, driven by jealousy, he attacked her with a brick.

"After rendering her unconscious, he assaulted her further, attempted to throttle her, and ultimately killed her," said the DCP.

To conceal the crime, Devender purchased a 20-metre plastic sheet, wrapped Asha's body, and placed it inside the bed box on the ground floor.

He also stole money (around Rs 13,000) and jewellery from Asha before fleeing to Aligarh.

"Devender is set to be presented at a court for further legal proceedings and police remand," said the DCP.