According to the South Coast Railway, under the jurisdiction of which the incident happened, preliminary evidence suggests the woman died after falling off the train. (File Photo)Around 12.15am on Wednesday, at the Visakhapatnam Railway Station, a 20-year-old college student from Assam boarded a train to get back home.Over the next few hours, she allegedly made several calls to her friends and family members, telling them she was feeling uncomfortable in a coach full of “unruly, inebriated” men.She also shared a video of the inside of the coach with the friend. Her phone switched off soon after.On Thursday, over 24 hours after she was last spoken to, the woman’s body was found near Tekkali in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.Also Read | 3 women, 3 hotel rooms, 3 murders, and 1 police warning about couplesAccording to the South Coast Railway, under the jurisdiction of which the incident happened, preliminary evidence suggests the woman died after falling off the train.Alleging negligence on the part of the RPF, the woman’s kin demanded a thorough investigation into the death. They claimed her friend made several distress calls to the Railway police control room and other helplines.The Railway authorities, however, said the RPF had searched for the young woman but failed to find her in that coach.Story continues below this adBoth GRP, Palasa, and RPF, Srikakulam, have registered separate cases in the matter.Tekkali station, where her body is found, is situated between Srikakulam Road and Palasa stations, which fall in the route of the train.Left home on August 13Police said the woman had left her home in Guwahati with a dance troupe on August 13 to participate in various programmes in Andhra Pradesh.In a statement released to the media, her family members said she was to return home on October 5 to write an exam on October 10.Story continues below this adRead | Visakhapatnam naval base staffer, driver held for ‘sharing information with Pakistan’However, she missed that train and boarded another the next day, they said.However, Dr Tapan Das, MLA of Dimoria Assembly Constituency, where the woman’s home is located, told The Indian Express that there had been an issue between the woman’s troupe and organisers of a dance programme in Visakhapatnam.“Two boys accompanying the troupe were beaten up after they demanded their due payment. After this, the troupe left the facility they were being accommodated in, reached the railway station, and caught trains heading towards Assam,” he told The Indian Express.One of the boys who was beaten up helped the woman board the Kanyakumari-Dibrugrah Vivek Super Fast Express – as was seen on security cameras at the station.Story continues below this adHer family claimed that between 2.30am and 2.40am, she made a call to her friend informing her that she was feeling unsafe. The friend then called the Railway police control room and helplines, they said.According to the family’s statement, soon after the distress call, she stopped answering her phone.After the train reached Guwahati on Thursday, her family members checked the coaches and found two bags which belonged to the woman.“The post-mortem has been performed by authorities in Andhra Pradesh; we are awaiting the report. The family wants to know what transpired that resulted in their daughter’s death, and want justice. She shared a video of the crowded train compartment and mentioned she felt very uncomfortable and unsafe,’’ Dr Das said.Story continues below this ad“The circumstances of the incident are under inquiry. As per preliminary enquiry by GRP, Palasa, it is prima facie suspected that the deceased might have fallen from the running train,” the Railway statement said. —(WITH PTI inputs)Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More Tags:Andhra Pradesh