A 35-year-old man allegedly killed a woman, with whom he had been living, and her three teenaged daughters over a domestic quarrel and went about his routine, keeping the bodies in their house for three days before the crime came to light, police said on Friday.

Chinnaraj was arrested on Friday after his landlord yesterday alerted the police following stench from the house in Royapettah locality in Chennai.

The man bludgeoned to death Pandiammal, separated from her husband some years ago, and two of her daughters with an iron rod besides strangulating another, a minor, using iron box cable in the wee hours of June 21 following an overnight quarrel with his partner, police said in a statement.

After remaining in the house keeping the bodies, Chinnaraj, a worker in a sweet stall, left for work the next day, police said.

As foul smell emanated from the house, the landlord questioned him about it yesterday but Chinnaraj told him that it was due to a dead rat and left the home locking the doors and never returned, they said.

The landlord later filed a complaint with the police unable to bear the severe stench. Police broke open the door later yesterday and found the bodies of the four in a highly decomposed state, the statement said.

The woman and Chinnaraj used to have quarrels often.

Chinnaraj 'confessed' to the murders, police claimed, adding he was arrested from Marina Beach while retrieving his parked two-wheeler early this morning.

A vehicle check showed that his scooter was parked there following which a waiting special team nabbed him, police said.