Kannur: A 26-year-old man from Assam allegedly strangled his wife to death over suspicions of an extramarital affair at Chittariparamba panchayat near Kuthuparamba on Tuesday night.

The couple's four-year-old son was by his mother's side when the police arrived at their rented house around midnight at Manatheri in Chellath Vayal in Chittariparamba.

Kannavam police said women officers took charge of the boy and placed him at a nearby Sakhi Centre, a government-run one-stop centre that provides shelter and support to women and children affected by violence or in distress.

Police said the accused, Rofijul Islam Talukdar (26), did not make any attempt to flee. He is a native of Dhubri in Assam. He was working as a salesman at a supermarket, Almas Trading Company, in Chittariparamba. His wife, Sajeda Khatun (23), was from Bongaigaon district in Assam. The couple had been living in the rented house for around two years and had been married for over five years.

According to the police, Rofijul suspected that his wife was having an extramarital affair. The suspicion had reportedly led to frequent quarrels between the couple.

The murder took place sometime between 10.30 pm and 11.30 pm on Tuesday, November 10. Rofijul allegedly strangled Sajeda during an argument at their house.

The supermarket's owner Shafsin informed a police patrol team about the crime around 11.50 pm. A team led by Kannavam SI Midhun Lal K K reached the house and found Sajeda lying unconscious on a bed. They rushed her to the Government Hospital in Kuthuparamba, where doctors declared her dead.
The police have booked Rofijul for murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).