Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Friday sought a thorough investigation into the death of a 20-year-old woman from Guwahati whose body was found near railway tracks in Andhra Pradesh.
Himashree Boro went missing after boarding a train in the southern state in the early hours of October 6 while returning home. Her body was recovered near the tracks the following day, officials said.
Her family has alleged foul play, while the South Coast Railway said preliminary findings suggested that she might have fallen from the moving train. Sarma, in a social media post, expressed grief over Boro’s death and extended condolences to her family.
He said he had written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, urging them to ensure a thorough investigation.
“I have also deputed a senior @assampolice officer to Andhra Pradesh to coordinate with the law enforcement agencies there,” Sarma said.
“The safety of the people of Assam, wherever they may be, remains our highest priority,” the chief minister asserted. Gogoi, also in a social media post, urged the railway minister to intervene in the matter.
He quoted family and media reports that Boro “felt unsafe because of the men in the compartment”. “She was harassed, and obscene gestures were made towards her. Police suspect she may have fallen from the moving train, while her family alleged foul play,” he added.
Raising questions on the safety of women while travelling on trains, the Congress MP cited NCRB’s Crime in India data, which has recorded 488 offences against women and children, and 1,422 offences against the human body, registered by the Government Railway Police (GRP) across India in 2024.
“Despite government initiatives regarding safety, a young woman who felt unsafe on a train never reached home,” Gogoi added.
A resident of Bonda here, Boro had travelled to Visakhapatnam for a dance competition, but was returning alone ahead of others as she was scheduled to appear for an exam in Guwahati.
CCTV camera footage of Visakhapatnam station showed her boarding the 22503 Kanniyakumari-Dibrugarh Vivek SF Express at 12.15 am on October 6, with a local acquaintance accompanying her to the station.
She reportedly called a friend and a sister-in-law in Guwahati soon after, telling them that she was feeling uncomfortable in the coach as there were inebriated men all around.
Boro had shared a video of the inside of the coach with her friend before they lost contact with her around 2.30-3 am.
The sister-in-law said they had contacted the Railway Helpline and shared details of her train, and were told by the authorities that the Railway Police Force (RPF) was being sent to check on her.
A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) statement here confirmed that the authorities received the complaint and said the RPF at Srikakulam Road station searched the general and sleeper coaches of the train, but the passenger could not be traced.
The body was later found by Srikakulam RPF near the railway line between Ponduru and Dusi sections on Wednesday.
“The circumstances of the incident are under inquiry. As per preliminary inquiry by GRP, Palasa, it is suspected that the deceased might have fallen from the running train,” the statement said.
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