A police constable in Telangana’s Sangareddy district killed his female colleague and set her body ablaze over a failed relationship, police said on Wednesday.

Mandarika was strangulated by Prakash near Venkatapuram village late on Monday. He later poured petrol on the body and set it on fire.

The woman constable’s father Sadanandam approached the police on Tuesday as she did not return home after duty. After a case was registered during interrogation, Prakash admitted to killing Mandarika.

Prakash, already married, fell in love with Mandarika while serving at Sangareddy police station a few months ago. The affair had continued even after they were transferred to two different police stations.

Mandarika was putting pressure on Prakash to marry her and they had a fight over the issue. He then planned to eliminate her. He took her out in a car late on Monday and strangulated her.