Borah's body, after it was severed from his head, was dragged to a distance of 500 metres from the unmanned railway crossing under Pulibor Police station yesterday, they said.
Local residents identified the body as that of Shymal Borah, a popular folk and Bhauna (Assamese traditional form of entertainment mostly with religious messages) artiste of the district and teacher in Majuli Vaishnavite sattras (15th-16th century monasteries).
Borah, on his way home in Pokamura Bez Gaon, was suspected to have not heard the sound of the train at the unmanned railway crossing, the police said.