Himashree Boro case: Fellow dancer alleges Andhra event organiser forced women to take weight-gain pills

A fellow performer who travelled to Andhra Pradesh with Himashree Boro, the 20-year-old Assam student found dead near railway tracks after going missing during her train journey home, has alleged that an event organiser forced young women in the dance troupe to consume unidentified tablets to gain weight.

The performer alleged that the organiser, identified as Govind, instructed thin young women to take two tablets daily, claiming they would help them gain weight. Boro was among those who allegedly took the tablets, along with three other women.

According to the performer, the women initially refused to consume the pills. However, Govind allegedly threatened to prevent them from performing at events if they did not comply. The four women eventually began taking the tablets out of fear, the performer claimed.

The women reportedly consumed the tablets for two weeks without knowing their ingredients or what effects they could have.

The dance troupe had travelled to Andhra Pradesh for performances at hotels and wedding ceremonies. The performer also alleged that they had previously heard accounts of Govind engaging in sexual misconduct with young women. They were allegedly threatened against filing complaints against him, the performer claimed.

The organiser would also allegedly withhold payments from performers who wanted to return home before completing their scheduled performances.

Boro, a student of B Borooah College in Guwahati, had travelled to Visakhapatnam for a dance programme before boarding the Kanniyakumari-Dibrugarh Vivek Express on October 6 to return to Assam.

During the journey, she reportedly contacted her family and a friend, expressing discomfort over the conditions inside the train compartment. She allegedly said several men were present, some of whom appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

Her family lost contact with her in the early hours of October 6 and sought assistance from railway authorities. Her belongings were reportedly found in the train's S2 coach, while her body was later recovered near railway tracks in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, between Dusi and Ponduru railway stations.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Preliminary accounts have suggested that she may have fallen from the moving train, while her family has raised suspicions of foul play.

Investigators are examining evidence, including CCTV footage and phone records, to reconstruct her final hours. The circumstances of her death remain under investigation.