Kolkata: A software engineer has allegedly been hacked to death by his live-in partner at his rented accommodation in southern Kolkata following a quarrel, leading to the arrest of the accused and her mother, police said on Monday.

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The victim, Sarthak Sarkar, a resident of Barasat in North 24 Parganas district and an employee of a private firm in Salt Lake's Sector V, Kolkata's IT hub, had rented a flat in the southern part of the city. The prime accused, Sanchalika Basu, occasionally stayed with him.

Police said that Basu was a resident of Fartabad in southern Kolkata and was a student of a private engineering college in the Sector V area.

"The two were in a relationship and had been living in the rented flat. Sarkar reportedly stayed there three to four days a week and was familiar to several residents of the neighbourhood," a senior police officer said.

He said initial probe revealed that the couple returned home on Saturday evening after buying firecrackers for Kali Puja. "They also purchased meat from a local shop on their way back and appeared to be in a cheerful mood," the police officer said.

An altercation allegedly broke out between the two later that night, which escalated, and Basu struck Sarkar on the neck with a sharp weapon, he said. "Neighbours rushed to the flat after hearing the screams and found Sarkar lying in a pool of blood. They took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead," police said.

According to police, the accused's mother, Moumita Basu, was also allegedly aware of the incident and kept mum. The circumstances surrounding her role in the killing are being investigated, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)