Ranchi, Feb. 14: Simdega police today arrested a young man for suffocating his estranged girlfriend, an aspiring police constable, to death last week, and then setting her body on fire to obscure evidence and baffle investigations.

Nitish Kumar Bharti (26), a diagnostic lab employee, was arrested from a private hospital in the district, 150km from here, where he was being treated for burns suffered during the murder of Lovely Kumari (23), who was a computer operator at the civil surgeon's office and had appeared for a police recruitment exam.

Simdega SP Rajeev Ranjan Singh said Nitish, a native of Jamui in Bihar, not only murdered Lovely, a resident of Pithra Mahkurtoli under Sadar thana, for breaking up with him after an eight-month relationship, but also tried to give the case an honour killing twist.

"When the youth was initially quizzed, he had claimed the young woman was killed by her own brother who was opposed to their relationship over caste issues. The accused was also smart enough to hide his mobile phone in Ranchi to avoid being detected," the SP said.

According to SP Singh, Lovely who was working as a computer operator for two years was sanguine of her selection in the constable recruitment exam, the result of which was to be announced on February 10, the day she was killed.

"It was cold-blooded murder. The accused had enquired when the selection results would be announced. He perhaps thought it would be easier to kill an ordinary girl than a policewoman," the officer said.

Sources said Lovely hailed from a modest economic background, but was independent and career-oriented. She and Nitish had applied for court marriage, but she decided to end their relationship when she found the youth to be too possessive and of suspicious nature.

In the small hours of February 10, Nitish entered Lovely's house with petrol. He suffocated her to death with a pillow and then set the body on fire.

Police later found a charred body, the petrol can, a pair of half-burnt trousers with a matchbox in a pocket. Investigators zeroed in on Nitish after they tracked down another youth who helped admit the accused to hospital with 15 per cent burns.

Student death FIR

Garhwa: Mother of first-year Vananchal Dental College student Sonali Verma, who was found dead in her hostel room on Monday, lodged an FIR on Tuesday against hostel in-charge Meena Singh.

While police are probing a suicide angle, mother Archana Verma insists that her daughter was murdered.