Man held over charges of abetment after partner ‘dies by suicide’

Guwahati: Police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old man in Guwahati on charges of abetment to suicide after his partner, a 29-year-old woman, allegedly died by suicide at a rented house in the city.

While the deceased, Sushmita Basumatary from Udalguri district, had been living in the city’s Hatigaon area for the past couple of years, the accused, identified as Akash Prasad from Manipur, and had been residing at Paltan Bazar.

“Preliminary investigation suggests evidence of abetment to suicide. However, further investigation is ongoing and all aspects of the case will be examined,” the officer said.

The officer added that preliminary findings indicated that the couple had been in a relationship for the past year.

Meanwhile, another officer said the accused was arrested based on an FIR lodged by the deceased’s family.

Police said the owner of the rented house noticed the woman hanging from the ceiling through a ventilation opening and immediately informed the authorities. “After the woman did not respond to repeated calls and knocks on the door, the owner became suspicious and looked through the ventilation, and found her in that condition,” police said.

Officer-in-charge of Hatigaon police station, Anjad Brahma, said, “The police team found the door locked from inside. They entered the house by breaking through the ventilation, before opening the door. The body was subsequently sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination.”

Brahma said the accused was produced before a local court in Guwahati on Thursday, which remanded him to five days of police custody.