Delhi Woman Raped, Tortured, Strangled by Friend After Fight, Say Police

New Delhi: Two days after a woman was found brutalized and murdered in a park in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, the police say they have arrested the killer - a man she had allegedly known for several months. The accused, Ramtez, worked in a government-run nursery near the park and was caught near the city's border on Sunday evening.

The body of the woman, a mother of three, was found on Saturday morning in a semi-naked state, with the hands and legs tied and bearing signs of torture, in a chilling reminder of the December 2012 gang-rape case. The police said she had been violated with a stick and strangled with her own scarf.

The police say the woman's mobile phone, salary and jewellery were found on Ramtez, a former neighbor who used to meet her often at the park.

Ramtez and the woman reportedly had a fight on Saturday evening. He allegedly raped and strangled her in a fit of jealous rage. The police say the killing suggests the work of a hardened criminal; they are checking his past crime record.

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The woman, believed to be around 40 years old, was the only earning member of her family. Her husband, a security guard, had met with an accident last year. She had reportedly started working in a factory two months ago.

She has three daughters, aged between 9 and 15.

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On Friday, she left for work at around 9:30 am and never returned. Late in the evening, her daughters went to the factory with their father to look for her. The family later went to the police.