Amidst growing concerns over security on trains operated by Indian Railways, a shocking incident of murder has been reported at Delhi's Shahdara railway station. A man was beaten to death after a quarrel over occupying a seat in an unreserved coach (general compartment) escalated into a violent face-off.
The incident reportedly occurred on Shahdara railway station's Platform No. 3 following the arrival of the Yoga Express around 6:00 a.m. The victim was among those boarding the general coach of the Haridwar-bound train.
Pankaj Dhama, a resident of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, got into an argument with others near the coach door, which soon became a physical altercation. Enraged passengers allegedly attacked Pankaj, knocked him to the ground, and repeatedly kicked and punched him. A video of the incident has also surfaced, showing Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel intervening to break up the fight. As the onslaught stopped, the video captured the victim on the platform floor. He was dragged away from the vicinity of the train by the uniformed men, the video showed.
THE WEEK could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
As per Hindi media reports, the victim was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Investigators are currently examining CCTV footage from the railway station and the viral video to identify the accused involved in the assault so that they can be arrested at the earliest.
Upon receiving information about the incident, a team from the Old Delhi Railway Police Stationreached the spot. New Delhi Railway District Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma reportedly told Aaj Tak that Pankaj Dhama was immediately taken to GTB Hospital in critical condition, where doctors declared him dead. According to the preliminary medical report, he suffered severe internal injuries during the assault, which proved fatal, the report added.
According to reports, Police have registered a case under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
