Police in the north-eastern Indian city of Guwahati have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 22-year-old university student was recovered from a residential property, shortly after she made a frantic middle-of-the-night phone call to her mother pleading for help.
The deceased, identified as Nimisha Thakuria, was a postgraduate sociology student at Guwahati University. Her body was discovered in an apartment in the Garal area on the outskirts of the city, which she was reportedly sharing at the time with a 26-year-old male companion. Local authorities promptly arrested the young man at the scene.
According to statements provided by a close friend, Ms Thakuria had informed her family earlier in the evening that she would be staying overnight at a classmate’s home. However, in the early hours of the morning, she managed to place an urgent telephone call to her mother, crying out that people were going to kill her. The friend noted that the call abruptly disconnected, suggesting the mobile device may have been forcibly taken from her hands. Law enforcement officials have acknowledged these reports, though they remain subject to official verification through forensic call-detail logs.
Further suspicions were raised by the building’s caretaker, who informed investigators that he overheard a man shouting loudly inside the flat during the night, aggressively demanding that someone wake up.
The suspect claimed to officers that Ms Thakuria died by suicide, asserting that she hanged herself inside the residence. However, senior police figures have publicly dismissed his account. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Guwahati West, Balin Deuri, confirmed that the force is treating the incident as a homicide.
“The suspect alleges that she ended her own life, but we are not accepting his version of events,” DCP Deuri stated. “Although no bloodstains were identified at the scene or on the deceased, our investigation remains at a preliminary stage. We strongly suspect foul play and are pursuing this strictly as a murder inquiry.”
The incident came to light after the suspect brought an unconscious Ms Thakuria to a local primary health centre. Healthcare staff immediately alerted the police before transferring her to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, where attending doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.
Detectives are currently interrogating the owner of the homestay property, the caretaker, and several staff members to reconstruct the timeline leading up to the tragedy. The victim’s body has been submitted for a comprehensive post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause and time of death.
