Andhra Pradesh Police have formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the death of Assamese student Himsri Boro, whose body was found near a railway track in Srikakulam district after she boarded an overcrowded train from Visakhapatnam early on October 7. The police are examining the circumstances surrounding her disappearance from the train and the subsequent recovery of her body.
According to an official police release reported by PTI, Boro’s body was found near Penubarthi village, on the right side of the tracks between Vizianagaram and Srikakulam Road. The Superintendent of Police, Srikakulam, and the SIT visited the location and conducted enquiries. A Regional Forensic Science Laboratory team, clues team, dog squads and drone teams also inspected the site and areas along the railway track.
Boro was studying for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Guwahati and had arrived in Visakhapatnam on August 16 with a 10-member dance group comprising two men and eight women. The group was staying in Pendurthi and earning about Rs 2,000 per person per day, the release said. Five members had returned to Assam, while five remained in Visakhapatnam.
The police said Boro attempted to return to Assam on October 6 but missed the Silchar Express. She stayed at the railway station and later boarded the late-running Vivek Express, scheduled to arrive at 11:50 pm. Before boarding, she contacted her college friend Jyothi Chowdari for help with ticketing. Chowdari then alerted schoolmate Eswar from Raghu Engineering College, who asked his friend Abhinash to assist Boro at Visakhapatnam Railway Station.
The release said Abhinash procured a general ticket for Boro. When the Vivek Express arrived at about 1:30 am, a ticket collector allegedly denied her request for a third AC sleeper berth. Two AC coach attendants also allegedly demanded Rs 4,000 without providing an assurance of a berth, according to the police account.
Boro then boarded a moving and overcrowded coach alone at about 2:39 am. She later called Chowdari and complained about misbehaviour by some boys, after which the call was disconnected, the release said. Chowdari informed classmate Anoop Tiwari, who lodged a complaint through the Railway Helpline 139.
When the train reached Srikakulam Road Station at about 3:56 am, railway assistant sub-inspector V Aruna and other staff searched the front and rear sections of the coach but could not locate Boro. An inter-station alert was issued, and railway police notified Palasa Railway Station to verify the complaint.
Railway police later inspected the train and recovered Boro’s luggage from the S2 coach. A co-passenger told investigators that Boro had fallen from the moving train, but the police investigation remains underway and the SIT is continuing to examine available evidence. A team of doctors has conducted a postmortem examination, the release said.
The investigation now involves the train journey, the complaint made through Railway Helpline 139, the response at Srikakulam Road Station and the forensic evidence gathered along the track. Police have not announced a final conclusion on how Boro died. The SIT, supported by forensic, canine and drone teams, is expected to continue examining the scene and related evidence.
