GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed condolences over the death of Himashri Boro, a 20-year-old student from Kamrup district, and sought a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
ALSO READ: Gaurav Gogoi Urges Union Railway Minister’s Intervention in Himashri Boro Death Case, Flags Safety Concerns on Indian Railways
The Chief Minister said he had written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, requesting a detailed investigation. He also said a senior Assam Police officer had been deputed to Andhra Pradesh to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies.
“The safety of the people of Assam, wherever they may be, remains our highest priority,” Sarma said.
In his letter to the Union Railway Minister, Sarma said Himashri had travelled to Visakhapatnam as part of a dance troupe and was returning to Guwahati. According to the letter, she boarded the Dibrugarh Vivek Express (Train No. 22503) at Visakhapatnam on October 5.
On October 6, her family reportedly received a distressing message from her in which she expressed fear over the presence of several men around her. She subsequently went missing, while her bag was found in the train’s S2 coach.
Her body was later recovered from a forested area near Malayapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district.
Describing the circumstances as raising serious suspicion of foul play, the Chief Minister requested a thorough, impartial and time-bound inquiry into her boarding the train, disappearance and the recovery of her body.
He also called for those responsible, if any, to be identified and brought to justice at the earliest.
