Guwahati, Sep 26 A Gauhati University student died after being found in a critical condition at a local homestay in Garal, on the outskirts of Guwahati, on Saturday, with police arresting her companion, an official said.
The official said that the victim, who belonged to the neighbouring Dharapur area, was brought to the health centre at Garal in a critical condition in the early hours of Saturday.
“She was brought from a local homestay, with the authorities of the homestay saying that she and a boy had booked the room. The person who was with her, who claimed to be her boyfriend, has been arrested,” the official said.
The main accused has been identified as Ashik Ali of Garigaon area.
“We have started an investigation into the matter, and further details will be known later,” he said, adding that the owner of the homestay has also been called for questioning.
The police official said the homestay had not collected mandatory identification documents from the duo and action will be initiated against it as per law.
Police’s CID and forensic teams also visited the room of the homestay where the woman student was staying, and collected evidence.
The woman’s father claimed that his daughter had left home around 5 pm on Friday, saying that she was going out to eat with her friends.
Around 10 pm, she informed her mother over the phone that she would be staying at the University hostel with a friend as it was late, which she had done earlier also, he said.
“Again, at about 2 am, she called her mother and said that ‘they were hitting me and I cannot breathe’. After that, we could not connect to her. We went to the Azara police station immediately, and on being informed of an injured girl being brought to Garal health centre, we went there to find her in a critical condition,” the father said.
An employee of the homestay claimed that the woman and Ashik had checked in on Friday evening and they had food delivered in their room at 9.30 pm.
“We heard shouts for help and then crying sounds in a male voice around 2.30-3 am. 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,” the employee claimed.
As news of the incident spread, a section of local people blocked the road leading to the airport nearby for some time, demanding stringent punishment for the accused.
They alleged that it was a case of “love jihad” and said the woman’s family should get due justice.
The woman’s last rites were performed in the evening after the body was handed to the family following the post-mortem.
(PTI News)
