Man kills wife, stores her severed head and chopped fingers in fridge; arrested

A 28-year-old man was arrested in Guwahati, Assam, on Monday for allegedly killing his wife, severing her head, chopping her fingers and storing them in the refrigerator at their rented accommodation in the Beltola area before fleeing.

The deceased was identified as Riya Talukdar, who hails from Guwahati’s Noonmati, while her husband, Ramanujan Goswami, who hails from Dhubri’s Gauripur, was arrested later, police said. Ramanujan works as a cab operator. Police said the deceased woman’s severed head was recovered from a refrigerator.

Ramanujan initially fled the crime scene but later surrendered to the police at Hatigaon police station, following which he was arrested.

The incident took place at a rented house in the Basisthapur area. The matter came to light when neighbours noticed a foul smell emanating from the locked house on Sunday night and alerted the police.

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Police arrived at the residence where the couple were staying since getting married a few months ago.

When the police broke the lock, they found a decapitated body that had started to decompose, but the head was missing. The fingers were also chopped off.

Police searched the house and found Riya’s severed head placed inside a black polythene bag in the refrigerator. Some of the victim’s severed fingers were also found along with the head, police said.

A forensic team from the Guwahati police collected evidence at the scene. Initial findings suggest Riya was killed at least 24 hours before her body and severed head were found, police said.

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According to neighbours, the couple got into a fight on Saturday night, and screams were heard from their house, but Ramanujan later locked the room from outside and left, police said.

“The locals told us that the husband left the house alone after locking the door from outside, which was suspicious. Later they said that foul odour came from the house, and based on that information, we started investigating,” officers of Hatigaon Police Station said.

Police have registered a case under multiple sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 103 (1) (murder), against him. Goswami is undergoing questioning at the police station, and police are trying to find the motive behind the murder.

According to police, Riya worked at a boutique in the AC Market area of Fancy Bazar. Both her parents had passed away, and her brother lives in Noonmati in Guwahati.

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According to Riya’s family members, the two were in a relationship for several years before marrying last year. The family said that Goswami has a history of domestic violence, and he spent approximately three months at a rehabilitation centre earlier this year.

Police said that they have collected the related evidence from the crime scene, and the details of Goswami’s behavioural history are being examined.

Riya’s body has been sent to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for a post-mortem examination, and the exact timeline and cause of death will be established once the report comes, police said.