Bengal man arrested from temple with wife's severed head; neighbours allege marital discord

A man was arrested from Bengal's South Dinajpur district on Wednesday morning after he was found sitting in the temple inside the compound of his home with his wife's severed head on his lap.

According to the police, the incident occurred in municipal ward No. 4 of the district's Gangarampur town, with the locals alleging a quarrel between the couple.

The arrested man was identified as 46-year-old Rintu Sarkar, a former bus conductor for the state-owned North Bengal State Transport Corporation. He told the police that he was sacked three years ago on disciplinary grounds.

The body of the victim, identified as 42-year-old Seema Sarkar, was taken for a post-mortem examination while police searched for the murder weapon.

"I became a psycho after they sacked me," Rintu Sarkar told the local media when he was being taken to the police station after his arrest.

The couple has two minor children.

Locals allege quarrel

A district police officer said that according to testimonies from the locals, Rintu Sarkar murdered his wife during a quarrel in the early hours of Wednesday and went to the temple with her head.

"Local people alleged that Rintu Sarkar murdered his wife during a quarrel in the early hours of Wednesday and went to the temple with her head. Some eyewitnesses alleged that he took his two minor sons to the temple as well, but local people took the children away," the officer said, requesting anonymity.

"The investigation has just started. So far, we have come to know that Rintu Sarkar became a very short-tempered and irritable person after losing his job. His neighbours claimed that he was arrested twice earlier for getting into trouble with local people. These are being verified," the officer added.