We warned about their relation: Accused's parents seek justice for Guwahati student

Asif Ali, the key accused in the death of 22-year-old Gauhati University student Nimisha Thakuria, has told police that she died by suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at a Guwahati homestay. Police, however, said they are not accepting his statement at face value and are investigating all aspects of the case.

DCP West Bolin Deori said Asif, 26, was arrested on Friday night and is currently in police custody. According to his statement, Nimisha hanged herself at the homestay in Guwahati's Azara area.

“According to the accused, whose name is Asif Ali, the girl hanged herself from a fan. Whether that claim is true or false will be determined through the investigation. We do not believe anyone's statement blindly,” Deori told reporters.

The DCP said investigators would establish what happened based on the evidence gathered during the probe.

“At this stage, it would not be appropriate to say exactly what happened. We will wait and see what emerges from the investigation,” he said.

NIMISHA FOUND UNCONSCIOUS AT HOMESTAY

Nimisha was found unconscious at the homestay early Saturday morning. Deori said three men brought her to Garl PHC at around 4:30 am, from where she was referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

She was declared dead at GMCH.

Police have sent Nimisha's body for post-mortem examination as part of the investigation. Officers are also examining her belongings and other relevant evidence to establish the sequence of events leading up to her death.

Nimisha was pursuing Sociology at Gauhati University and was a resident of Dharapur. She had been staying at the homestay since September 20.

ACCUSED'S PARENTS SAY COUPLE WERE IN RELATIONSHIP

Asif's parents said Nimisha and their son had been in a relationship. His father, Ashik Ali, said Nimisha had called Asif on the day of the incident and asked him to accompany her.

According to Ashik, Asif had been unwell and sleeping throughout the day before Nimisha called him in the afternoon. He then went out with her.

“The day my son went out with Nimisha, I was not at home. He had told his mother that he was going out, but he did not say where he was going,” Ashik said.

He said the family learnt about Nimisha's death the following day.

“Asif had taken her to the hospital along with the security guard, where she was declared dead,” he said.

Ashik claimed the two had been in a relationship for around five years. He said his wife had previously warned them about the relationship, citing differences in religion as well as their financial and social backgrounds.

His mother, however, said she did not know how long the two had been together.

ASIF'S MOTHER SAYS SHE WARNED NIMISHA

Asif's mother said Nimisha had visited their home once during Eid and had a meal with the family.

“I tried to make her understand that we are Muslims, while she is Hindu. I also told her that we are daily wage workers and come from a poor family,” she said.

She said Asif works as a painter and sometimes drives for Rapido to earn a living. According to her, he had studied until the third semester of his BA course.

“I don’t know how long they had been together. She came to our house only once,” she said.

The mother said Asif had told her on the day of the incident that he would return soon, but did not come back.

She also said she had no information about whether Nimisha's parents knew about the relationship.

“I don’t know whether the girl’s parents were aware of their relationship. They never contacted me, so I have no idea whether they knew about it,” she said.

POLICE VERIFY ASIF-NIMISHA RELATIONSHIP

Police are also examining the nature of the relationship between Nimisha and Asif. According to the police, there may have been a romantic relationship between the two.

Deori said investigators were not accepting this information without verification.

“As far as the relationship between them is concerned, they have said that there may have been a romantic relationship. But we do not accept that statement at face value. We will examine all the facts and only then comment,” he said.

Police said two people were staying at the homestay. The other two men who brought Nimisha to the health centre are associated with the homestay and work there.

IF MY SON IS GUILTY, HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED: ASIF'S MOTHER

Asif's mother said she wanted justice for Nimisha and that her son should face punishment if the investigation establishes his guilt.

“If my son is guilty, he should be punished. I only want justice for the girl as well,” she said.

Police have sent Nimisha's body for post-mortem examination and are examining her belongings and other evidence connected to the case.

Asif's claim that Nimisha died by suicide remains under investigation and has not been accepted by police as the established cause of death. The exact circumstances surrounding the student's death are yet to be determined.