In the early afternoon of May 28, 2026, Devpalik Gupta boarded the Jan Shatabdi Express at Ranchi railway station with two friends, hoping to grab a snack in the pantry car. Yet, just ten minutes after departure—around 2:25 pm—Gupta vanished, prompting a frantic search that spanned every coach before the train halted at Muri Junction, where authorities lodged a missing‑person complaint.
Police officer‑in‑charge Gautam Kumar Rajwar later confirmed that preliminary evidence points to an accidental fall from the moving train. The body, located near a railway track close to Jarwadih village on the Ranchi‑Muri line, was identified by Gupta’s brother before being transported to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for post‑mortem. An unnatural‑death case will be registered based on statements from the family.
Gupta had served as the Jan Suraaj Party’s chief social‑media strategist for four years, steering the digital campaign that helped Prashant Kishor secure the party’s sole MLA seat in the Bankipur assembly by‑poll. The party issued a heartfelt condolence, labeling his loss as “heart‑wrenching.” The Indian Institute of Mass Communication also mourned the tragedy, urging a thorough probe and public disclosure of the investigation report.
The investigation will now focus on reconstructing the circumstances of the fall, with police expected to release a detailed report within the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the party has called for heightened safety measures on trains, especially for passengers who may inadvertently step onto the tracks.