A 25-year-old newlywed woman was found dead and beheaded inside her rented home in Guwahati, India, with her severed head allegedly discovered inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
The gruesome discovery was made on September 6 after neighbours reportedly noticed a strong foul smell coming from the apartment. They told police that the woman and her husband, who had been married for only a few months, had been unreachable for two days, with both of their phones switched off.
Police arrived at the apartment and broke into the home, where they found the woman’s decomposing body. Her fingers had reportedly been cut off, while her head was missing.
The victim was identified as 25-year-old Riya Talukdar.
During a search of the apartment, investigators reportedly found a plastic bag inside the refrigerator containing Talukdar’s severed head. Police also seized a knife from the apartment which is suspected to have been used in the killing, according to The Times of India.
Talukdar’s body and severed head were taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for examination. A police officer said preliminary findings suggested the murder had taken place around 48 hours before her body was discovered.
Neighbours said Talukdar’s husband was last seen on Friday. He reportedly disappeared after the incident and remained uncontactable for several days.
The husband eventually turned himself in to police on Sunday evening. A court subsequently ordered that he be held in police custody for seven days as investigators continue their probe.
Police have not yet disclosed the suspected motive for the killing or explained why the man decided to surrender. Investigators are continuing to compare his statements with evidence recovered from the apartment and establish the full timeline of the incident.
Authorities are also looking into whether anyone else may have been involved in the killing.
