GUWAHATI / AMARAVATI, October 10: A Special Investigation Team constituted by the Andhra Pradesh Police, assisted by forensic experts, dog squads, clues teams and drone units, is probing the circumstances surrounding the death of 20-year-old Assam student Himashree Boro, whose body was found near the railway tracks in Srikakulam district earlier this week.
Boro, a student of B. Borooah College in Guwahati and a resident of Chapaidong in Kamrup district, had travelled to Visakhapatnam as part of an Assamese dance troupe for a two-month cultural assignment. She decided to return home ahead of the others to appear for an examination in Guwahati and boarded the Dibrugarh-bound Vivek Express (Train No. 22503) from Visakhapatnam station late on the night of October 5.
In the early hours of October 6, her family received a distressing message from her in which she expressed fear over the presence of a large number of men in her coach. She also shared a video of the coach interior with a friend and later made a call alleging harassment. The friend alerted the Railway Protection Force through the helpline, but by the time personnel reached the S-2 coach, Boro was missing. Her bags and identification documents were later recovered from the coach when the train arrived in Guwahati. Her body was discovered the following day near Penubarthi village, on the right side of the tracks between Vizianagaram and Srikakulam Road, in a forested area near Malayapuram.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday wrote separate letters to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, describing the incident as a “tragic and suspicious death” and urging a thorough, impartial and time-bound investigation. “The safety of the people of Assam, wherever they may be, remains our highest priority,” Sarma said in a public statement. He also deputed a senior Assam Police officer to Andhra Pradesh to coordinate with local law-enforcement agencies.
The Superintendent of Police, Srikakulam, along with the Special Investigation Team, visited the scene and conducted detailed enquiries. Regional Forensic Science Laboratory teams, clues teams, dog squads and drone units inspected the area along the railway track. Preliminary findings by the Government Railway Police suggest that Boro may have accidentally fallen from the moving train while standing near the door. Investigators have so far found no evidence of sexual assault or physical violence, and the post-mortem examination is reported to have indicated a severe head injury consistent with a fall from height. The railway track at the location is approximately 10 feet above ground level.
Despite these initial observations, Boro’s family has strongly contested the accidental-fall theory. They have alleged negligence on the part of railway authorities and claimed that the young woman may have been pushed or met with foul play. Family members have pointed to the distress messages and the crowded coach as grounds for a deeper investigation into the possibility of murder.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Assam, with political leaders across parties expressing concern. Congress leaders have also called for a transparent inquiry. Railway authorities and the Andhra Pradesh police have registered separate cases and are examining CCTV footage from stations along the route, call detail records, and statements from co-passengers and the dance troupe members who remained in Visakhapatnam.
As the investigation continues, the Assam government has assured the family of all possible assistance. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem formalities in Srikakulam. The episode has once again brought into focus issues of women’s safety on long-distance trains, particularly in coaches that become overcrowded during night journeys.
Authorities in both states have indicated that the probe will be conducted without delay and that any evidence of criminality will be pursued to its logical conclusion. For now, the circumstances of Himashree Boro’s final journey remain under active scrutiny, with the Special Investigation Team expected to submit its findings in the coming days.
