Horrifying images show the moment an Indian man who had decapitated his wife paraded her head, waved to stunned onlookers and sang his country’s national anthem, according to a report.
Akhilesh Rawat, 30, and his wife of more than two years, Rajani, began an argument that turned violent Saturday – and he allegedly attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, beheading her, the Hindustan Times reported.
Rawat walked for just under a mile in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, holding his 26-year-old wife’s severed head aloft before he was arrested near the Jahangirabad police station, according to the news outlet.
“We have recovered the weapon from the accused’s home,” police Superintendent Arvind Chaturvedi said.
Three months ago, the couple had a baby girl who died a few days after her birth due to an illness, according to a police official.
“The victim was living at her parents’ house after her daughter’s death and Akhilesh managed to bring her home four days ago,” Chaturvedi said.
The victim’s brother Jagdish Rawat said: “I doubt that Rajani’s daughter died a natural death. Akhilesh’s family must have had some role in her death.”
Rawat faces a murder charge and a case of dowry death was filed against him on the complaint of the victim’s father.
“A case has been registered against the accused. We are interrogating him to know as to how and why he killed his wife,” the police superintendent said.