Man held for hacking wife to death, burying body in house

Jamshedpur: A 49-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly hacking his wife to death and burying her body inside their house at Tungi village in West Singhbhum district, police said.The accused, Ram Hansda, allegedly attacked his wife, Guruwari Hansda (47), with an axe on Oct 17 after an argument over dinner, in what police described as a fit of rage. Investigators said he dug a pit inside the house and buried the body to conceal the crime and delay detection by neighbours.Guruwari had not been seen in the village since Oct 17. After she remained untraceable for several days, neighbours grew suspicious and informed her married daughters. One of them, Nagisri Gagrai (30), reached Tungi on Saturday from Kharsawan in neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district, where she lives with her in-laws.Police said family members inspected the house and noticed dried bloodstains on the interior walls. They then informed Pandrashali police outpost, and a team reached the village and began an inquiry.During questioning of locals and a preliminary probe, police learnt that Guruwari’s body had allegedly been buried under the floor of the house. Officers said the burial appeared aimed at destroying evidence and preventing immediate detection by villagers living nearby. After completing administrative formalities, police excavated the spot in the presence of a magistrate.“The decomposed body of the woman was recovered from the pit on Saturday,” a police officer said.Police took custody of the body and sent it to Sadar Hospital in Chaibasa for post-mortem examination after completing the necessary formalities.ASP Raj Kumar Jayaraju said an FIR was registered on the basis of Nagisri’s complaint. Hansda was arrested on Sunday and remanded in judicial custody. Jayaraju said the accused allegedly confessed during questioning. Police also recovered the axe allegedly used in the murder.Police said further investigation is under way to establish the sequence of events and corroborate the confession with forensic and post-mortem findings.Stay updated with the latest Ranchi news. Download the TOI App.