A 30-year-old man from Guwahati, who was arrested for allegedly beheading his wife and storing her severed head in a refrigerator, died after jumping from a moving police vehicle, officials said.
The incident took place in the early hours of Monday when police were bringing Ramanuj Goswami back to Hatigaon Police Station after medical examinations at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
According to police, Goswami suddenly attacked members of the police team and jumped from the moving vehicle near the Narakasur Pahar area. He fell into a gorge and suffered serious injuries.
Police rescued him and rushed him to GMCH, where doctors declared him dead.
Goswami had been arrested for allegedly killing his 25-year-old wife, Riya Talukdar, at their Guwahati flat on September 3.
Police said he later claimed that he suspected his wife of being unfaithful.
The crime came to light after neighbours complained of a foul smell coming from the flat. Police then recovered the woman’s severed head and fingers from a black polythene bag kept inside the refrigerator.
Goswami was booked under Sections 103(1) for murder and 238 for causing disappearance of evidence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
He had surrendered to police on September 6 and was remanded to seven days of police custody.
During a police visit to the crime scene on September 8, Goswami allegedly showed no remorse over the killing and reportedly said he had no regret or apology.
He also allegedly threatened to kill a man whom 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 have been used in the killing.
Officials also said Goswami told them that he was intoxicated when the crime took place. Empty alcohol bottles were reportedly 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 those allegations were also being investigated.
