The death of 22-year-old Gauhati University student Nimisha Thakuria at a homestay on the outskirts of Guwahati has prompted an investigation into suspected violence, the arrest of the man who was staying with her, and allegations from her family that she was assaulted before she died. The man, 26-year-old Ali, has told police that Thakuria died by suicide. Reports identify him variously as Asif, Ashik or Ashiq Ali.

Ali was produced before a Guwahati court on Monday, September 28. Police have also detained another man, identified as Mitu Ali, for questioning about the stay at the homestay, according to India Today North East.

The call that alarmed her family

Thakuria, a sociology student from the Dharapur area, left home at about 5 pm on Friday, September 25, according to her family. Her father said she had told them she was going out with friends. Around 10 pm, she called her mother to say she would stay with a friend rather than return home late. The family said it did not know she was at a homestay with Ali.

At around 2 am on Saturday, Thakuria called her mother again. Accounts of her precise words differ, but her family and a family friend have consistently described a distress call alleging that she was being attacked. Her father told reporters she said she had been beaten, punched in the chest and injured; a family friend said she cried that “they will kill me”. Those accounts are central to the investigation, but the reported words and any allegation that her phone was taken have not been independently verified.

Unable to reach her after the call, her family went to Azara police station. They subsequently learned that a young woman had been taken to a nearby health centre.

From homestay to hospital

Thakuria and Ali had stayed at a homestay in the Dharapur–Garal area, identified in several reports as Rudra’s Kitchen. A homestay employee said the pair had checked in on Friday evening and ordered food at about 9.30 pm. At roughly 2.30–3 am, staff heard cries for help and went to their room, where, according to the employee, they found Thakuria on the floor and Ali holding her.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Bolin Deori said three men brought Thakuria, unconscious, to a local primary health centre at about 4.30 am. She was referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. The post-mortem examination was conducted on Saturday.

Ali told police that Thakuria had hanged herself from a ceiling fan. Deori said officers would test that claim against the evidence rather than take it at face value. Police have described murder as a possibility under investigation, not a finding. Reports citing police have also described injury marks on Thakuria’s body.

Family’s allegations and police evidence

Thakuria’s father has alleged that his daughter was gang-raped and murdered, citing what he said were signs of assault. Police are examining those allegations.

Police CID and forensic teams have examined the homestay room and collected evidence. Investigators are also looking at material from mobile phones, the pair’s movements and whether anyone else was present or involved. India Today North East reported that Mitu Ali was detained for questioning and that another university student was reportedly at the homestay that night.

The homestay itself is under scrutiny. Police said it had not collected mandatory identity documents from Thakuria and Ali. Its owner and employees have been questioned, and the premises have since been sealed, according to subsequent reporting. The Times of India reported police saying the pair had visited the property five times during September without proper identity verification.

Protests as questions remain

Thakuria’s death brought residents and students onto a road leading towards Guwahati’s airport on Saturday, briefly disrupting traffic as they demanded a thorough investigation and punishment for anyone found responsible. Some protesters called the case love jihad.

Ali’s parents have said the two were in a relationship. His father described it as lasting about five years, while his mother said she did not know how long they had been together. She told India Today that she wanted justice for Thakuria and that her son should be punished if found guilty.

The investigation now turns on evidence that can establish the sequence inside the homestay room: the post-mortem findings, forensic examination, witness accounts and phone material.

Thakuria’s reported call for help and the family’s allegations have raised urgent concerns about Hindu women’s safety and whether the investigation will be thorough and impartial. Those concerns deserve a serious response: police should establish what happened through the post-mortem, forensic evidence and witness testimony, and hold anyone responsible to account to provide justice to the victim Hindu girl.