Police have arrested two men for allegedly killing a woman and dumping her body in a creek in Palghar district of Maharashtra, an official said on Friday.

The crime branch of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police arrested the duo, identified as Harshad Jau Patil (26) and his friend Kritesh Ashok Kini (28).

The body of the woman, aged around 35 years, was found near Mharambal Pada jetty on November 27. The body was partly decomposed when it was found, senior inspector Pramod Badakh of Virar crime unit of the MBVV police said.

A large stone had been tied to the woman’s body before being dumped into the water, he said.

Arnala Sagari police station sent the body for post-mortem and registered a case under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence). During the probe, the police came to know that a missing person’s report was filed with Virar police station and the description of the missing person and the deceased woman matched.

The police later found that the victim was in a relationship with Patil, but both of them frequently quarrelled over various issues. Fed up with the woman, Patil roped in Kini to kill her.

As per their plan, the duo strangled her to death and later tied the stone around her neck before dumping her body into the creek, Badakh said.

The two accused were finally arrested on Wednesday from Naringi area of Virar and were handed over to the Arnala Sagari police for further probe.