A dispute over a senior citizen's seat inside a Delhi Metro train allegedly turned violent and ended in tragedy, leaving a 48-year-old man dead. A retired IAS officer and his lawyer son have been arrested in connection with the case, which has sparked questions over how a seemingly ordinary metro journey spiralled into a fatal confrontation.
The accused have been identified as Sanjay Pratap Singh, a retired 1984-batch IAS officer, and his son Siddharth Singh, a lawyer. Both have been sent to 14 days of judicial custody as police investigate the circumstances that led to Pawan Sharma's death.
The incident took place on Thursday, October 8, when Pawan was travelling with his mother, Durga Devi, from Dwarka to Yamuna Vihar. His mother said they were sitting on a seat reserved for senior citizens when the father-son duo boarded the train at Mandi House at around 5.30 pm.
"They Grabbed Him By The Neck And Started Punching Him"
Recounting the horrifying moments, Durga Devi said her son was initially taken aback when the men confronted him over the reserved seat. She alleged that the situation quickly turned violent, with Siddharth grabbing Pawan by the neck and punching him in the chest.
"I don't usually keep well and we were sitting quietly because it was a long Metro journey. As soon as the father-son duo came, the father first hit Pawan. My son looked puzzled and asked in panic what happened. The man said 'this is a seat for senior citizens'. This is not the right way to talk to someone. I held my child's hand and asked him to stand up. After this, the man's son caught hold of Pawan's neck and started punching him in the chest that caused his death," said Durga Devi.
The incident took place at Supreme Court Metro Station, where the two accused were taken into custody.
"A Train Full Of Passengers, But No One Stepped In"
The alleged assault has also raised questions about the response of fellow passengers. Durga Devi claimed that the metro coach was crowded when the confrontation took place "but no one intervened".
The police are investigating to establish the sequence of events inside the train.
Who Is Sanjay Pratap Singh?
Sanjay Pratap Singh is a retired IAS officer of the 1984 batch, belonging to the AGMUT cadre (comprising of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and the Union Territories). He is based in Sector 44, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
He spent more than three decades in the Indian Administrative Service and held several administrative positions in Delhi and other Union Territories. His career included work in welfare administration and other government departments.
His bureaucratic career has also seen controversies involving departmental proceedings and allegations of corruption. These aspects of his career are separate from the present criminal case.
The retired officer is now at the centre of a police investigation following the death of Pawan Sharma in the alleged metro assault.
Investigation Underway
Police are investigating how the dispute over a senior citizen's seat escalated into a fatal incident. The allegations made by Pawan's mother, the circumstances of the confrontation and the sequence of events inside the train will be crucial to establishing what happened.
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