Anwar Ashraf (27) had been a friend of the 35-year-old married woman, a mother of two, for two and a half years and decided to kill her as she pressurised him to marry her. He feared their affair would affect his family life, they said.
He had reportedly befriended her while she was a regular passenger in the bus.
The woman had gone missing since March 7 and her family had lodged a missing person complaint the following day.
Police said Anwar had reportedly gone to Cherthala in Alappuzha on a car hired from his friend to take the woman to Kochi.
Both spoke at length after reaching the spot before he allegedly smothered her to death with her shawl, police said.
Anwar was arrested yesterday.
Meanwhile, police have found details of his alleged conversations with 200 women from his mobile phone and have started a probe on whether he had similar relations with them.
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