A 29-year-old painter was arrested near Pune on Saturday for murdering his 25-year-old live-in partner and dumping her body in a suitcase at CST on September 26 with the help of a friend, who is still at large.

The woman, Roshni, had been living with Pravin Thakre in Chikhali village in Pune district for 10 years. They have a four-year-old child who is physically impaired. The couple had frequent fights over Pravin’s romantic affairs, and another such altercation took place on September 25, when, in a fit of rage, Pravin strangled Roshni to death with a piece of cloth. He then called his 25-year-old friend, Amol Karanjule, to seek his help in disposing of the body.

Mahendra Rokade, senior inspector of Pune government railway police, said, “The duo stuffed the body in a trolley suitcase, and travelled to Chinch-wad railway station on a two-wheeler, where they boarded a local train to Lonavala. They were looking to throw the bag in the valley, but couldn’t as the train was crowded.”

They panicked on reaching Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and abandoned the bag on a platform.