Himashree Boro death: PWD repairs road ahead of CM’s visit, questions over delayed action

The Assam government’s preparations for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s proposed visit to the home of 22-year-old Himashree Boro, who was found dead beside railway tracks in Andhra Pradesh, have brought the condition of the approach road into focus, with the Public Works Department (PWD) deploying an excavator to fill potholes ahead of his arrival.

The road leading to Himashree Boro’s residence was taken up for repairs early in the morning of October 12, with the department stepping up work before the Chief Minister’s visit. The development has drawn attention to the timing of civic action as the family continues to demand a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the young student’s death.

While road maintenance is a routine responsibility of the government, the timing of the work has brought the issue into focus. For residents who use the road regularly, potholes and damaged stretches are not merely inconveniences that emerge before an official visit; they are everyday infrastructure concerns that require timely attention.

Boro’s body was recovered on October 7 near the railway line between Ponduru and Dusi in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, a day after she boarded the 22503 Kanniyakumari-Dibrugarh Vivek Express at Visakhapatnam while returning to Guwahati from a dance programme.

The Government Railway Police (GRP), in its preliminary inquiry, has indicated that Boro may have fallen from the moving train. However, investigators have not conclusively established how she came to be outside the train or what happened in the hours before her death. Her family has alleged foul play and called for a comprehensive probe.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said a complaint was received through the Rail Madad portal on October 6 concerning alleged misbehaviour with a woman passenger aboard the train.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Srikakulam Road station responded to the complaint and searched the general and sleeper coaches but could not locate Boro.

CCTV footage from Visakhapatnam railway station subsequently showed her boarding the train’s S-2 coach after being dropped off by a local acquaintance, according to railway authorities.

Her family said Boro later contacted friends and expressed discomfort over the behaviour of several men in the coach, who allegedly made her feel unsafe. She also reportedly shared a video of the coach before contact with her was lost.

The sequence of events following the distress complaint remains a key aspect of the investigation, particularly as the initial search failed to locate her.

CCTV footage, passenger statements under scrutiny

The GRP and RPF have registered separate cases and are investigating the circumstances surrounding Boro’s death. Statements of passengers travelling in the coach and the person who dropped her at Visakhapatnam station are being recorded.

Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to her disappearance and death. Her family has said that two bags and documents belonging to her were found inside the S-2 coach.

A resident of Guwahati’s Bonda area, Boro was a student of B Borooah College and had travelled to Andhra Pradesh as part of a dance troupe. She was returning ahead of the rest of the group because she was scheduled to appear for an examination in Guwahati.

Students of B Borooah College staged a protest in Guwahati on Thursday, demanding a thorough investigation into her death.

As the Chief Minister prepares to visit the bereaved family, the central questions surrounding Boro’s death remain unanswered. The preliminary theory that she may have fallen from a moving train has not yet established the circumstances that led to the incident.