A 24-year-old Jan Suraaj Party functionary who went missing from a Patna-bound train was found dead near railway tracks in Ranchi district on Tuesday, police said. His body was recovered from bushes near Barwadag, around 30 km from Ranchi, after railway personnel began searching for him.
The deceased was identified as Devpalik Kumar Gupta, the digital media manager of the Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party. Officials identified him with the help of his Aadhaar card, according to the police. The body was sent for post-mortem examination, and the exact cause of death is expected to be established through the report.
Gupta had boarded the train from Ranchi on Monday along with a friend, police said. The train was travelling towards Patna. Near Muri station, Gupta reportedly left his berth to go to the pantry car but did not return.
His companion and railway staff searched the train after he went missing. The search continued after the Railway Protection Force was alerted about his disappearance. RPF personnel later recovered the body from bushes close to the railway tracks near Barwadag.
Rural Superintendent of Police Gaurav Goswami said the Government Railway Police was investigating the case. Police said initial findings suggested that Gupta may have died after falling from the moving train, but investigators were examining all possible angles.
The police have not established the final cause or circumstances of the death. The post-mortem examination is expected to provide further evidence as investigators reconstruct Gupta’s movements after he left his berth near Muri station.
The incident places attention on the challenges involved in responding to passenger disappearances during train journeys, particularly when a person is reported missing between stations. In this case, the search involved the missing passenger’s companion, railway staff and RPF personnel before the body was located near the tracks.
Sources cited in the report said Gupta had been associated with the Jan Suraaj Party for four years. He was also an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi.
The Government Railway Police investigation and the post-mortem examination will determine the next official findings in the case. Police are continuing to probe the circumstances surrounding Gupta’s disappearance from the train and his subsequent death near Barwadag.
