Assam student who called home about drunken men in train coach found dead near railway tracks in Andhra’s Srikakulam

Vizianagaram railway station, one of the stations where railway police are checking CCTV footage after the death of a student from Assam who boarded the Vivek Express in Visakhapatnam. | Photo credit: Basheer

A 21-year-old student from Guwahati, who called her family from a train that she felt unsafe among drunken men on her bus, was found dead on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) by the railway tracks in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district. The railway police suspect that she fell from a moving train; however, her family claims she was murdered.

Srikakulam Superintendent of Police KV Maheswar Reddy has formed special teams along with the Government Railway Police (GRP) to trace the men who were allegedly involved. Her body was found near Boddepalli, between Amadalavalasa and Ponduru railway stations.

Himashree Boro had come to Visakhapatnam to participate in a dance competition and was returning by the Guwahati Kanyakumari-Dibrugarh Vivek Express which she boarded at about 12.15 pm on 6 October. Since she had to write the exam from Guwahati, she was returning alone while her friends stayed back in Visakhapatnam. She allegedly objected to a couple of passengers drinking on the bus and recorded them on her mobile phone. She then called her parents and told them about the threats from the male passengers on the bus.

The coach was packed and she could not get help from GRP or train ticket examiners, police said. Her phone was later turned off, but the footage remained on it. Her luggage was found intact on the S2 bus. Many passengers boarded the bus without reservations, which police said was another reason for the delay in identifying the men.

What the railways say

A complaint of misbehavior with a woman passenger in the train was received on the Rail Madad portal on October 6 and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Srikakulam Road station searched its general coaches and sleeper coaches but could not find her, Northeast Frontier Railway said in a statement. CCTV footage at Visakhapatnam station showed her boarding the S2 bus.

“As per preliminary investigation by GRP, Palasa, there is a prima facie suspicion that the deceased may have fallen from the running train,” the statement said. GRP in Palasa and RPF in Srikakulam registered separate cases. The statements of the passengers in the coach are being recorded and the CCTV footage of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam is being checked.

The family blames murder

Her family members who reached Srikakulam identified the body and urged Mr. Maheswar Reddy to take strict action against those responsible for her death. Her friends also reached Srikakulam and said they asked her not to travel alone as it would not be safe. They were afraid that the men who were arguing with her might throw her off the train. The sister-in-law told PTI in Guwahati that the family called the railway helpline after her call and was told that the RPF was sending her to check on her. “But we never heard that she was safe,” she said.

Srikakulam police said they are awaiting the postmortem report and will act quickly. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed shock over the death and asked the Andhra Pradesh government to investigate the case and take action against those responsible. Students of B. Barooah College in Guwahati, where she studied, staged a protest demanding a thorough investigation.

(With inputs from PTI)

Published – October 9, 2026 12:28 PM IST