Wayanad: In a significant turning point in the probe into the murder of a migrant worker in Vellamunda here, a team from Thondarnad police, led by Inspector Ashraf S, arrested another migrant worker Muhammed Arif (38), a native of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and his wife Sainaba (27) on Saturday (Feb 01). According to the police, Arif strangled his friend, Mugeeb Ahammed (29), another migrant labourer from the same district in Uttar Pradesh. Although the accused were taken into custody on Friday night, their arrest was officially recorded on Saturday evening following interrogation and evidence collection.Kerala: Woman's suicide in Malappuram sparks allegations of dowry, marital abuse; probe underwayArif also cut Mugeeb’s body into two pieces and, ensuring that no blood was visible, packed the remains into a box and a travel bag. Arif and Sainaba had been residing in Velliladi, within Wayanad's Thondanadu panchayat, for several months.An auto driver from Assam played a crucial role in helping the police solve the murder case in Vellamunda, Wayanad. The Assam-based driver shared their shocking experience with Asianet News. When asked what was thrown from the bag, the accused, Mohammed Arif, responded that he had thrown a body after killing someone, according to Sohabuddin, the Assam-based auto driver.Sohabuddin’s intervention led to the immediate arrest of the accused. After seeing the bag being thrown out, Sohabuddin became suspicious and asked the person what was inside the bag. The information reached the police through Rashid, the auto owner from Vellamunda.Sohabuddin then informed Rashid over the phone, who in turn contacted the police. Sohabuddin shared that he had seen the bag being thrown and that the accused spoke about the murder. He added that when he was told that the bag contained a human body, he was frightened. Sohabuddin is still in shock over the incident.After the murder, Rashid stated that the accused cleaned the room and even smoked to mask the smell of blood. When the auto driver, Sohabuddin, learned of the incident, he immediately contacted Rashid, who then informed the police. Sohabuddin only mentioned that the bag contained a body.Rashid initially had doubts about the validity of the claim, but he chose to alert the police. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the accused, Mohammed Arif. It was revealed that Arif had committed the brutal murder just before he was about to leave for Uttar Pradesh. The quick intervention of the auto driver and Rashid was crucial in ensuring Arif's capture before he could escape.Meanwhile, police will continue to question both Mohammed Arif and Sainaba, who are the prime suspects in the brutal murder. The two were presented before a magistrate last night and were remanded for 14 days. The investigation and evidence collection are ongoing.Mugeeb Ahammed and Muhammed Arif, both hailing from the same village in Uttar Pradesh, had been close friends for eight years. They worked together as painters and initially shared a rented home. However, Arif had been absent for several years after returning to his hometown to get married.A few months ago, Arif returned to Velliladi with his wife, Sainaba, and began searching for work. Mugeeb, a young and attractive man, often visited Arif’s home and developed a close bond with Sainaba. Even during Arif's absence, Mugeeb continued to frequent the house. Their growing closeness caused frequent arguments between Arif and Sainaba, with Arif becoming increasingly suspicious as Sainaba showed more attention to Mugeeb. Tensions eventually reached a breaking point, and Mugeeb decided to move out of their shared living space, relocating to Edavaka to avoid further conflict.During questioning, Sainaba admitted that Arif had been suspicious of Mugeeb’s ongoing involvement with her. Under the guise of wanting to reconcile before leaving Wayanad, Arif invited Mugeeb to his home on Friday afternoon. The family was set to return to their village in Uttar Pradesh that evening, and Arif reassured Mugeeb that he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings before their departure.While Sainaba and Mugeeb were talking inside, Arif unexpectedly strangled Mugeeb with a long towel from behind. According to the police, Sainaba also aided Arif in carrying out the murder. Afterward, Arif used a newly bought knife to sever Mugeeb’s body at the torso, cutting it into two parts.