The police said on Tuesday that Jonali Nath, a woman BJP leader from Assam's Goalpara district whose body was discovered on Sunday night next to the highway, was murdered by her partner Hasanur Islam.
The police detained Hasanur on Monday evening.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said that for more than two years, the deceased woman had an affair with Hasanur.
Hasanur is a ward member of the Congress in Goalpara's Matia area, while Jonali served as the district secretary of the BJP in Goalpara.
Jonali was married and she got involved with Hasanur in an illicit relationship two years ago.
Inspector General of CID, Debraj Upadhyay, said that Hasanur Islam has admitted during interrogation of having an affair with Jonali for more than two years, but said that he had recently married another woman which upset Jonali.
Upadhyay said that Hasanur also admitted that on Sunday night, Jonali came to meet him. He picked her up in his car after which a quarrel broke out between the two inside the car.
"He hit her many times on the face after she questioned him about his marriage, rendering her unconscious," the officer said.
While the doctors said that a hard object was used to kill her, Hasanur told the police that he hit her on the face until she passed out.
"When he realised she was dead, he abandoned her near the road and drove off. He also banged her head on the car. The car has bloodstains on it," Upadhyay added.
The bloodstains on the car matched those of Jonali, according to the police, which also claimed to have verified Hasanur's ownership of the vehicle.
The police said that when Jonali found out about Hasanur's wedding, she began calling him, but he initially avoided her.
Hasanur later agreed to meet her on Sunday, and picked her up from a market area in Matia.
According to her relatives, Jonali left the house on Sunday at around 4:30 p.m. for some personal work. Her husband tried to call her after 7 p.m. but couldn't get through. The body was discovered around midnight after the family members contacted the police.
Upadhyay said that Hasanur had switched off Jonali's mobile phone at 7:13 p.m. because he didn't want any interruptions.
The police located her after scanning her call logs.
Meanwhile, many of Jonali's supporters claimed that she was raped before being killed. however, Rajesh Reddy, district superintendent of police, told IANS that there was no sexual assault.
"The body showed no signs of sexual assault, as per the doctors. We are questioning the accused to get further details regarding the case," Reddy said.
Eco Survey: Demographic advantage, responsible approach position India to benefit from AI
With AI research and development currently concentrated in the hands of a few, very large companies that control the resources to erect high entry barriers, AI adoption in place of humans presents the risk of concentrating the benefits of automation.
Prez Murmu faces ‘repeated’ insults from Congress: Sonia Gandhi’s comments fuel backlash
The BJP was quick to condemn the remarks, calling them “derogatory” and accusing the Congress of disrespecting the President. BJP leaders said that Congress’s “feudal mindset” cannot accept that a tribal woman like Droupadi Murmu achieved the position of President of India.
India's farm sector has clocked robust growth on the back of govt schemes: Economic Survey
The agriculture sector in India has shown robust growth in recent years, averaging 5 per cent annually from FY17 to FY23, demonstrating resilience despite challenges, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25.
India a bright spot in global manufacturing despite persistent geo-political tensions: Eco Survey
The global manufacturing landscape has undergone significant shifts over the past decade and India has been one of the dynamic economies that gained a greater presence in the space gradually vacated by developed countries.
Nadda strongly condemns Sonia Gandhi’s ‘poor thing’ remark for President Murmu
BJP President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda has strongly condemned senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s reference to President Droupadi Murmu as a "poor thing" while commenting on her address to Parliament.
India’s economy remains steady amidst global uncertainties: Economic Survey
India’s domestic economy remains steady amidst global uncertainties, driven by robust growth in the services sector, a rebound in agriculture, and the industrial sector picking up momentum on the back of rising private consumption, according to the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday.
Govt bullish on creating robust infra, private sector must reciprocate too: Eco Survey
The government has laid a special focus on infrastructure -- physical, digital and social -- in the last five years and those efforts would need to be supplemented with wholehearted acceptance of the need for public-private partnerships in infrastructure across the country, the Economic Survey 2024-25 said on Friday.
Forward-looking strategic trade roadmap to create more vibrant export sector: Eco Survey
The evolving global trade dynamics, marked by gradual shifts towards greater protectionism, require assessing the situation and developing a forward-looking strategic trade roadmap, the Economic Survey 2024-25, presented in the Parliament on Friday ahead of the Union Budget 2025-26, said.