Guwahati, 14 September (HS): The man accused of allegedly killing his wife in Guwahati’s Basistha area and concealing her severed head inside a refrigerator killed after police opened fire when he allegedly attempted to escape custody, police said on Monday.

According to police, the accused had been in police custody for the past seven days. He was being taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for a medical examination when he allegedly tried to flee in the Narkasur Hill area. Police said they fired at him when he attempted to escape and he subsequently killed.

The accused was scheduled to be produced before a court on Monday after completion of his seven-day police custody. His mother, who reside in Gauripur, were also reportedly preparing to file a bail petition.

Police took custody of the body and sent it to GMCH for post-mortem examination.

The case came to light about a week ago after police received information about a foul smell emanating from a house in the Basisthpur area. A police team reached the spot and recovered the decomposed body of a woman near a bed inside the house. During the investigation, police also recovered the woman’s severed head from a refrigerator inside the premises.

The deceased was identified as Riya Talukdar. The incident had created considerable panic in the area.------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash