Kollam: The woman whose body was found in a deserted railway building at Chemmamukku in Kollam was murdered, stated the police.
The woman was killed by a 24-year-old man here during a rape attempt on December 29, the police said on Friday.
Nasu, a native of Lakshamveedu Colony at Anchal, was taken into custody after the decomposed naked body of a woman was found at the derelict property a couple of days ago.
Police have slapped murder charges on Nasu.
He also stole the woman's phone and money.
He told the police that he got acquainted with the woman at Kollam beach and attempted to rape her in a deserted railway building nearby. She was strangled to death during the sexual assault.
The police are investigating whether others were involved in the crime.
The accused had initially told the police that the woman died after developing epilepsy during sexual intercourse.
The woman, a native of Keralapuram, had gone missing since December 29.
The youth who was nabbed during night patrolling by the Kottiyam police on December 31 under suspicious circumstances. During checks it was found he had with him someone else's mobile phone.
When police tried to make a call from the mobile on the number seen on it, the call went directly to the young woman's home. The woman's family informed the police that the owner of the phone was missing and a complaint had been lodged in this regard.
The police let him off after seizing the phone.
When the body of the woman was recovered from the deserted building on Wednesday morning, the cops launched a search for the youth and took him into custody again. It was only then he told the cops that he had met the woman on December 29.
The local residents first found the woman’s body in the deserted building when they conducted a search after a foul smell emanated. The body was found in a naked state and there were only a few pieces of her clothes nearby.
