Jan Suraaj Team Member Goes Missing from Moving Train to Patna

A digital communication manager for Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party went missing on Monday while travelling from Ranchi to Patna on the Jan Shatabdi Express.

Disappearance

Devpalik Gupta, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Delhi, boarded the train at Ranchi railway station with his friend and colleague Gautam Kumar around 2:25 pm. About 10 minutes into the journey, Gupta left his seat to visit the pantry car for food and did not return. When his companions could not locate him after searching the adjacent pantry car and every other coach on the train, they filed a complaint at Muri Junction.

Investigation

Sanjeev Singh, the Railway Protection Force inspector at Muri Junction, stated that CCTV footage from the station confirms Gupta did not deboard the train there, and his mobile phone remains switched off. A joint team consisting of local police and Railway Protection Force personnel is currently searching for him.

Context

Railway police typically rely on station CCTV networks, passenger lists, and mobile phone tracking to trace missing persons during train journeys. Investigations on moving trains often require coordination across multiple police jurisdictions along the railway route.