Guwahati: In an unprecedented judicial intervention, the Guwahati bench of the Railway Claims Tribunal has taken suo motu cognizance of the mysterious death of 20-year-old college student and dancer Himashree Boro. This marks the first time this specific bench has independently initiated proceedings for such a case.
The tribunal recorded statements from Boro’s parents and demanded comprehensive reports from railway and police authorities across three states to scrutinise the circumstances of the tragedy. Member (Judicial) SD Sharma and Member (Technical) Leena Sarma confirmed that preliminary evaluations established Boro as a bonafide passenger whose death remains deeply anomalous.
Boro, a student at B. Borooah College in Guwahati, had travelled to Andhra Pradesh for a dance competition. On October 5, 2026, she boarded the Kanyakumari–Dibrugarh Vivek Express from Visakhapatnam to return home.
In a frantic panic-stricken call to her family at 2:39 AM on October 6, she expressed terror about an extremely overcrowded S2 sleeper coach and being surrounded by aggressive, intoxicated men.
Shortly after, her phone went offline. While her luggage reached Guwahati safely, her body was discovered on October 7 near the railway tracks in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district.
While initial railway police reports suspected an accidental fall from the open train door, Boro’s family strongly suspects foul play. Her father, Dhiren Boro, has lodged a formal complaint naming five individuals associated with the dance group and travel arrangements, urging a homicide investigation. "CM Himanta Biswa Sarma met us and assured us that steps would be taken to ensure justice," Dhiren stated.
A joint investigation by the Assam Police, Andhra Pradesh Police, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is currently underway. Investigators are auditing the Rail Madad helpline response times and contacting co-passengers in the S2 coach. "We have a few more issues to verify before concluding that Himashree's death is an accident," noted Srikakulam District Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheshwara Reddy.
The tribunal stated it can award a maximum compensation of ₹8 lakh to the victim's family as the multi-state probe continues.