Gauhati University student found dead at homestay, suspect detained

A 21-year-old sociology student from Gauhati University, Nimisha Thakuria, was found dead at a homestay in the Garal-Dharapur area under Azara police jurisdiction late Friday night. She had left home around 11 pm to spend the night with a friend, Ashiq Ali, at a place known as “Rudra’s Kitchen.” According to her father, she called her mother later that night alleging assault before her phone was turned off.

She was later discovered unconscious and declared dead at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, with an inquest noting injury marks on her body. Police said Ali told investigators the girl hanged herself from a fan, and he remains in custody as the post-mortem and further investigation proceed. The incident sparked a blockade of NH-17, disrupting traffic to LGBI International Airport, as protesters labeled the death a case of “love jihad.”