Beheading Accused Dies After Jumping From Police Vehicle in Guwahati
A Guwahati man accused of beheading his wife and hiding her severed head in a refrigerator died after jumping from a moving police vehicle while being escorted back to the police station.
A 30-year-old man from Guwahati, arrested for allegedly beheading his wife and keeping her severed head in a refrigerator, died after jumping from a moving police vehicle in the early hours of Monday, officials said.
Ramanuj Goswami was being escorted back to Hatigaon Police Station after medical examinations at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) when the incident occurred. According to Hatigaon Police, he suddenly attacked the police team and jumped from the moving vehicle near the Narakasur Pahar area, falling into a gorge and suffering serious injuries.
Police rescued him and rushed him to GMCH, where doctors declared him dead.
Goswami was arrested in connection with the killing of his 25-year-old wife, Riya Talukdar, at their Guwahati flat on September 3. Police said he later claimed he suspected his wife of cheating on him.
The crime came to light after neighbours complained of a foul smell emanating from the flat. Police subsequently recovered the woman's severed head and fingers from a black polythene bag kept inside the refrigerator, officials said.
Goswami was booked under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He had surrendered to the police on September 6 and was in seven-day police remand.
During a police visit to the crime scene on September 8, Goswami allegedly showed no remorse over the killing and said he had no regret or apology. He also allegedly threatened to kill a man he referred to as his wife's "sugar daddy" if he was released from jail.
Police said they recovered a blood-stained machete, suspected to be the weapon used in the killing. Officials also said Goswami told them he was intoxicated when the crime took place, while empty alcohol bottles were recovered from the flat.
Riya's family had alleged that Goswami had a history of drug addiction, concealed medical issues and a previous arrest in a financial fraud case in 2019. Police had said these allegations were being investigated.