Guwahati Woman, 71, Stabbed To Death In Her House, Caretaker, Wife Arrested

A 71-year-old woman, living alone in Guwahati, was allegedly murdered by her caretaker at her house, the police said. The police have arrested the accused and his wife.

The two accused have reportedly confessed to stabbing the woman to death. The incident took place in Guwahati's Kharghuli Hills area yesterday. The police received information around 6 am yesterday and found the woman on her bed with neck injuries.

ADCP (Central) Sambhavi Misra said that the police arrested Ratul Das and his wife in connection with the incident. The police said the caretaker and his wife were the primary suspects in the case, who stayed in a room adjacent to the 71-year-old woman's room.

The woman lived alone in her house after her husband died in 2001. She did not have any children.

The police's Forensic Science team, CID, and the dog squad were present at the scene. During the investigation, a fresh wound was noticed on the hand of the caretaker, Ratul Das, which raised suspicion.

Upon interrogation, Das confessed to the crime. He revealed that on the night of the murder, he entered the house through the back entrance that had no proper door or roof. He found the woman asleep and allegedly killed her around midnight by slitting her throat with a knife. After the murder, he disposed of the knife in a nearby jungle and threw his bloodstained clothes into a drain.

According to police, Ratul entered the woman's room by jumping from the rooftop and attacked her with a knife. He later disposed of the weapon in a nearby drain and returned to his room, informing his wife about the incident. The duo then allegedly conspired to mislead others by making a fake story that an outsider was involved.

Around 5 am, the caretaker's wife reportedly called the victim's relatives and neighbours, claiming the door was mysteriously open and someone had broken in.

However, both later confessed to the crime. Police are also investigating the possibility of a property dispute, as the victim had no known legal heirs. "We are exploring all angles, including property motives, as the woman lived alone and may have had assets," ADCP Mishra added.

The matter is under further investigation.