Police in Guwahati detained 26‑year‑old Asif Ali after a 22‑year‑old student, Nimisha Thakuria, was found dead in a homestay room on the city’s outskirts early Saturday. Deputy Commissioner Bolin Deori told reporters that Ali claimed a suicide, but investigators doubt the story because no blood was found on the body or floor and the post‑mortem report is pending.
Family friend Gautam Das, who had been on the phone with Thakuria’s father, said the girl called her mother at about 2 a.m. and cried, "They will kill me," before her phone was reportedly snatched. Das added that the girl had told her family she was staying at a friend’s place for the night and had not been seen again.
Homestay caretaker Bipul Bailung heard a male voice shouting late at night, asking someone to get up. He reported the sound to the police, who then questioned the homestay owner and other staff. Deori noted the investigation is in its preliminary stage and that no additional evidence has surfaced.
The death sparked protests from groups citing a so‑called "love jihad" conspiracy, claiming the victim was a Hindu woman and the arrested man a Muslim. The police are now awaiting the post‑mortem findings and will convene a press briefing once the report is released, while the city’s civic authorities monitor the escalating unrest.