Kochi | A man has been taken into custody in connection with the death of a 19-year-old woman from here, police said on Wednesday.

The woman, who had been missing since last week, was found dead on Tuesday.

The deceased, identified as Chithrapriya, was a resident of Malayattoor and a student in Bengaluru. Her decomposed body was recovered near her home.

A post-mortem examination conducted at a medical college confirmed that she was murdered, police sources said.

Police suspect that the man in custody, identified as Alan and believed to be her boyfriend, committed the crime. He was detained after a detailed interrogation.

The woman was found with a head injury allegedly caused by a stone. Police have not yet disclosed the motive.

Earlier, investigators reportedly recovered CCTV footage showing Chithrapriya riding pillion on a motorcycle on the day she went missing.

Police said they were not in a position to divulge further details at this stage.