The family of Ramanuj Goswami — the accused husband in the murder of Riya Talukdar in Guwahati — has refused to claim his body, alleging he was killed in a staged police encounter and announcing plans to pursue legal remedies through the courts. The development adds a charged new dimension to a case that had already gripped Assam.

Family Rejects Body, Alleges Encounter

Goswami's father, Tarun Goswami, said the family would neither travel to Guwahati to receive the body nor approach the police for its handover. 'We are not going to take back his dead body. My son has been encountered. Now everything is finished,' he said, adding that the family would leave the matter before the public and seek justice through legal channels.

Tarun Goswami announced that the family intends to approach the Gauhati High Court and, if required, move the Supreme Court over the circumstances surrounding his son's death while in police custody. He also appealed to the public and media not to visit the family's residence, requesting privacy as they prepare to pursue the matter legally.

What Police and Hospital Authorities Say

According to police, Goswami died in the early hours of Monday after allegedly jumping from Narakasur Hills while being transported to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for a blood test. The incident occurred at around 3 a.m. when he was being taken from the Hatigaon area through Kahilipara. Police maintain he jumped from the vehicle in an attempt to escape custody and sustained fatal injuries in the fall.

GMCH Superintendent Debjit Choudhury confirmed that Goswami was brought to the casualty ward at 3:41 a.m. as a road traffic accident victim and was declared brought dead. 'Today at dawn, at 3:41 a.m., a victim of a road traffic accident, named Ramanuj Goswami, was admitted to the casualty ward of GMCH by the police. He was brought dead,' Choudhury said.

Critically, hospital authorities stated that a preliminary examination found no bullet injuries on Goswami's body — directly contradicting the family's encounter allegations and initial social media claims of police firing. A detailed post-mortem examination is underway, which is expected to provide a more definitive account of the cause of death.

Background: The Riya Talukdar Murder Case

Goswami had been arrested in connection with the murder of his 25-year-old wife, Riya Talukdar, whose body was recovered from the couple's residence in Guwahati's Basisthapur area earlier this month. Police alleged that Riya was killed following a domestic argument, and that Goswami subsequently severed her head and kept it inside a refrigerator. The case came to light after neighbours noticed a foul smell from the locked apartment and alerted police.

Notably, Goswami had made contradictory statements while in custody. He reportedly claimed he had 'no regret, no apology' and threatened to kill a man he referred to as his wife's 'sugar daddy' if released. Days later, he expressed remorse and said no one should repeat what he had done.

What Happens Next

The post-mortem results from GMCH are expected to be the pivotal piece of evidence in determining whether the family's legal challenge gains traction. If the report corroborates police and hospital accounts — that death resulted from fall injuries with no bullet wounds — the encounter allegation will face a high evidentiary bar in court. The Gauhati High Court, if approached, is likely to seek a magisterial inquiry into the custodial death circumstances, a standard procedure under Indian law whenever a person dies while in police custody.