The family could not reach her again. Within hours, Nimisha was taken from a homestay on the outskirts of Guwahati to hospital, where she was declared dead. A phone call at around 2 am is now a key part of the investigation into the death of 22-year-old Gauhati University student Nimisha Thakuria.
Her father says she called her mother, saying she had been beaten and was injured.
Police await evidence as protests follow death
The post-mortem findings have not been publicly released, and investigators have not announced that sexual assault has been confirmed. Police have not announced any evidence supporting that allegation. Her last rites were performed on Saturday evening.
Nimisha’s father has rejected that account and alleged that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered. After seeing his daughter’s body, Thakuria alleged that she had been assaulted before her death. He claimed there were marks on her body and also alleged that she had been tied with ropes. The father’s allegation has not been established by police. For police, the medical findings and forensic evidence from the homestay will be important in establishing what happened that night. Police are checking that account against the medical evidence, witness statements and material collected from the room. Police have questioned the homestay owner, caretakers and other employees. CID and forensic teams have also examined the room and collected evidence. The account given by the homestay staff has added another part to the night’s timeline. Police are now examining the statements as they piece together what happened inside the homestay during those hours. The investigation has also turned to the way the homestay handled its guests. Yet the homestay had not collected mandatory identification documents from them. The property has since been sealed. Police are examining its records and have questioned the owner over the alleged failure to carry out guest verification. Nimisha’s death brought residents onto the streets, with protesters blocking a road and demanding a full investigation. The case now rests on evidence being examined from several sources: the post-mortem, forensic examination of the room, Nimisha’s phone and movements, the family’s account of her last call, statements from homestay employees and Ali’s version of events. Nimisha’s body was handed over to her family after the post-mortem examination.
Because her body has marks, “It was a gang rape case. Police have detained 26-year-old Ashiq Ali, who was staying with Nimisha at the homestay in the Dharapur-Garal area. Employee Bipul Bailung said Nimisha and Ali were staying in Room 10 and had ordered food at around 9.30 pm. Several hours later, at around 2.30 am to 3 am, staff heard shouting followed by crying in a male voice. He said she had taken Rs 2,000 two days earlier, telling the family that she planned to go out with friends and spend the night at a friend’s hostel.
Ali has told investigators that she died by suicide. She was gang-raped before she was killed,” he told reporters. Ali has told investigators that Nimisha hanged herself. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Balin Deuri said, “Whether it is true or a lie, it would come out during the investigation. “Three of us went to their room and found the girl lying on the floor, with the boy holding her in his hands and crying,” Bailung said. That timing is close to the call Nimisha’s father says she made to her mother. Police said Nimisha and Ali had visited the property about five times in the past month. Nimisha’s father said the family did not know she was staying there with Ali. Some protesters used the term “love jihad” while referring to the case.
Nimisha told family she would stay at university hostel
The connection was then lost. “Ma, they have beaten me. They punched me in the chest and assaulted me. Her parents repeatedly called her phone but could not reach her. The family went to Azara police station and sought help. Police later received information about a young woman who had been taken to Garal Primary Health Centre in a critical condition. She was Nimisha. She was referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Because it was getting late, later that night, she told her mother that she would stay at the Gauhati University hostel with friends. Deep Thakuria, Nimisha left home at around 5 pm on Friday after saying she was going out to eat with friends, according to her father. Then came the call at around 2 am.
Her family had no reason at that stage to believe she was at a homestay, her father said. I am injured,” Nimisha allegedly told her mother, according to her father. In another statement describing the same call, Thakuria said his daughter told her mother that “they were hitting me and I cannot breathe.
