Thane, Jul 9 (PTI) Chicken feathers stuck on a gunny bag found near a burnt body helped Thane police in Maharashtra crack the case and nab the killer from West Bengal, an official said Tuesday.

The partially burnt body of a woman, aged around 25 years, was found beneath a culvert inKalyan town here on June 23, senior police inspector (local crime branch) Venkat Andale told reporters.

During the probe, the police noticed chicken feathers stuck on a gunny bag that was found near the body and a ‘tabiz’ (amulet) with something written in Bengali tied around a body part, he said.

The police then tried to track the chicken shop owners and those who spoke Bengali in the area.

They later got information that a woman from Khadavali area used to come to a chicken-seller, identified as Aalam Shaikh (33), the official said.

The police also came to know that Shaikh had all of a sudden left for West Bengal after the body was found.

A Thane police team then went to West Bengal and traced the accused to Saidpur village in Birbhum district.

Andale said during questioning, Shaikh allegedly confessed to killing the woman, identified as Moni, with whom he was in a relationship for last few months.

The accused claimed that the woman borrowed Rs 2.5 lakh from him sometime back but was not returning it.

Hence, on the night of June 22, Shaikh went to her house and with the help of a friend, allegedly strangled her to death with a muffler, the official said.

The accused and his friend then took the body on a motorcycle to a secluded spot where they allegedly poured petrol over it and set it ablaze, he said.

Shaikh was arrested on Monday night and booked under relevant sections, he said, adding that a search was on for the other accused, identified as Manorudin Shaikh.