Kanhangad: A makeup artiste was killed allegedly by her lover in a lodge in Kanhanagd on Tuesday, said Hosdurg police. The deceased has been identified as P B Devika (34), a native of Mukkunoth at Mangad in Udma grama panchayat.

After killing her around 1.30 pm, the lover Satheesh (36) locked the room from the outside and walked to the police station, 500m away, and surrendered, said Kanhangad DySP P Balakrishnan Nair. "He came to the police station around 5 pm. When we reached the room we found Devika dead with her throat slit," said the officer.

Satheesh, a native of Bovikanam in Mulliyar grama panchayat, runs a private security agency in Kanhangad. He is married and has a child. Devika is also married and has two children.

"He told us that Devika was pressing him to get divorced and live with her and that was why he killed her. We will be investigating that claim," DySP Nair said.

Satheesh was living in the lodge for the past two months. On Tuesday, Devika came to Kanhangad, 20 km from her house, to attend the district convention of Kerala State Barber-Beautician Workers Union, an organisation affiliated to the CITU. After the meeting, Satheesh took her to the lodge and killed her, the officer said.