Kothamangalam police probing the alleged murder of Ansil A, a native of Mathirappilly, Cheranallor, said that he had consumed a lethal herbicide which caused his death.

The police on Friday arrested his woman friend, Adheena (30), who is the sole accused in the case. She will be presented before the magistrate at 7 pm on Friday.

Paraquat, a herbicide, was found near the house along with a glass. The police control room had received calls both from Ansil and the woman on July 30. He was found lying on the road in front of the gate of a woman's house at Chelad.

The cops have learnt that Ansil was with the woman on the night of July 29, and then he left the place. Later, she called him in the early morning hours. The woman had earlier filed a complaint against Ansil for alleged sexual assault. The case was later quashed in court as she had withdrawn the complaint. The police said that Ansil and the woman became friends again, and recently they again fell apart over certain personal matters.

The police took the woman into custody after Ansil had told the hospital staff and two of his relatives that she was responsible for his condition. Ali Akbar, cousin of Ansil, said that he received a call at 3.30 am from Ansil's brother Abins. "He told me that Ansil's life was in danger. When we reached Chelad, he was lying on the road. The police called an ambulance and he was taken to the General Hospital.

"On the way, he told us that she betrayed him and she was responsible for his condition. He said his body was burning all over and pleaded for help," said Ali Akbar. Ansil gave the statement to the police before he was shifted to a private hospital, where he died on Thursday.

According to his relatives, Ansil used to have financial transactions with the woman. "He told us that he had blocked her on his phone and mentioned about some financial transactions. He was planning to sell off his vehicle to clear the dues," said Ali.

Ansil lived with his wife, two children, brother and parents at Cheranalloor. Initial findings show striking similarities with the Parassala Sharon Raj murder. Greeshma, the convict in the case, had invited Sharon Raj to her house in Ramavarmanchirai, Tamil Nadu, on October 14, 2022, where he was given an ayurvedic tonic laced with paraquat. He succumbed to multiple organ failure 11 days later, on October 25, 2022. Greeshma plotted the murder after Sharon had refused to end their relationship.