Students of B Borooah College staged a peaceful protest outside the college premises in Guwahati on October 8, demanding a thorough and impartial investigation into the death of Himashree Boro, whose body was recovered beside a railway track in Andhra Pradesh days after she went missing during a train journey back to Assam.
Holding placards that read “Justice for Himashree Boro,” “Assam, Andhra Pradesh railway must answer,” “We resist violence and sexual harassment,” and “Police, railway must be accountable,” the students called for accountability from both the police and railway authorities.
Speaking to the media, the general secretary of the college students’ body said the students wanted justice for Himashree and demanded that all those responsible for the incident be identified and brought to justice. He also emphasized that the demonstration was peaceful and conducted without slogans.
Himashree Boro, a resident of Chapaidong near Bonda in Narengi on the outskirts of Guwahati, had travelled to Visakhapatnam with an Assamese dance troupe for a programme and was returning to Assam alone on board the Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express.
According to her family, they remained in regular contact with her during the journey and last spoke to her around 1:30 pm on October 6. Soon after, her phone became unreachable. Family members later searched the S2 coach in which she had been travelling and reportedly found two bags and documents believed to belong to her.
The family has alleged that some young men travelling in the same coach made obscene gestures towards Himashree during the journey. They also claimed that she was in frequent contact with a woman identified as Jyoti Choudhury. These allegations are yet to be independently verified by investigators.
After losing contact with her, the family informed the Railway Protection Force and the Panikhaiti police outpost and appealed for information regarding her whereabouts.
On Wednesday, railway police informed the family that Himashree’s body had been recovered beside a railway track at Tekkalipuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage that shows Himashree walking along a railway platform before boarding the train. An unidentified man can be seen approaching and speaking to her shortly before she boarded. Another video reportedly recorded during the journey shows her standing inside the coach corridor surrounded by several men. Authorities are scrutinizing the footage and other evidence to determine what transpired during the journey.
Railway police continue to investigate the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding Himashree Boro’s disappearance.
