Guwahati: A wave of shock gripped Assam’s Maibang town on Saturday after the body of a 19-year-old Class XII girl was recovered under suspicious circumstances from a girls’ hostel, Dima Hasao police confirmed.
A senior police officer said, “We have registered a case and are thoroughly investigating it. We are awaiting the post-mortem report. We assure you that we will arrest anyone found guilty sooner rather than later.”
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Maibang police found the student lying dead on her bed inside her hostel room.
While hostel authorities claimed the death occurred by hanging, the victim’s family and local residents strongly disputed this version and alleged foul play.
“It’s not suicide. Something untoward has happened to our child. We want justice,” said the relatives of the deceased.
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The family accused the hostel warden and the night watchman of direct involvement, claiming the hostel staff informed them of the incident only late in the afternoon.
They further alleged that upon reaching the hostel, they found the body lying on the bed—not hanging—contradicting the hostel’s account. They also questioned the absence of physical evidence of hanging from the ceiling fan and pointed out inconsistencies in statements given by hostel authorities and students.
The hostel warden told police that she had warned the deceased multiple times for violating hostel rules.
She claimed that efforts were underway to contact the student’s guardians on the day of the incident.
“I don’t know who called the police; the hospital authorities might have informed them. There were complaints about the student. We were trying to call her guardian,” the warden said.
Meanwhile, locals alleged that hostel staff mishandled the situation by removing the body from the ceiling fan before police arrived.
They claimed that the hostel management did not inform either the police or the family immediately.
Police recovered the body after being alerted by residents and sent it for post-mortem examination.
Investigators have registered a case and are probing all possible angles, including allegations against the hostel warden and the night watchman.
The mysterious death has raised serious concerns among the student community. Police have assured that a thorough investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of death.
Locals also criticized the lack of government oversight, claiming that both government and private hostels in the region remain unchecked by authorities.