Jan Suraaj communications manager Devpalik Gupta found dead in Ranchi (Img: X)
Ranchi: Devpalik Gupta, the 31-year-old digital communications manager of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), was found dead near railway tracks in Ranchi on Tuesday, around 24 hours after he went missing from a train travelling to Patna. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, and police are investigating the case.
Gupta was travelling with two colleagues on the Ranchi-Patna Janshatabdi Express on Monday afternoon when he suddenly went missing. According to Jan Suraaj national spokesperson Kumar Saurabh Singh, an FIR was registered at around 9 pm on Monday.
His body was recovered from bushes near the railway tracks in Jarwadih, within the jurisdiction of Ranchi’s Angara police station. It was subsequently sent to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for a post-mortem examination.
Gupta’s colleague Gautam Kumar said the train departed for Patna at around 2.25 pm. Approximately 10 minutes later, Gupta reportedly went towards the pantry car to get food. Gautam and their other colleague, Nishant, last saw him at that time.
When Gupta did not return for nearly two hours, his colleagues became concerned and began searching the train.
"We went to the pantry car next to our coach, but did not find him. We checked every coach, but he was nowhere on the train," Gautam said.
When the train stopped at Muri Junction, Gautam lodged a complaint with the Government Railway Police (GRP). Gupta’s body was discovered in Jarwadih, between Ranchi and Muri, on Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators are examining the sequence of events after Gupta left his berth, including whether he fell from the moving train.
Senior police officer Gaurav Goswami said a preliminary examination indicated that Gupta might have suffered a head injury. He suggested that Gupta may have fallen from the train, but stressed that the circumstances were still being investigated.
The post-mortem examination is expected to help establish the cause of death. No definitive conclusion about the circumstances has been announced.
Also Read: Akhilesh Is a Good Friend: Kiren Rijiju’s Remark Creates Buzz Ahead of UP Polls
The Jan Suraaj Party has called for an impartial investigation into Gupta’s death, while stopping short of alleging a conspiracy.
"We do not know how, or under what circumstances, Devpalik Gupta died. Therefore, we cannot officially claim that there was any political or other conspiracy involved. If Devpalik was a victim of any conspiracy, political or otherwise, it must be investigated impartially," the party’s spokesperson said.
A native of Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, Gupta had worked with Kishor for four years, beginning with the Jan Suraaj campaign in 2022. Following the launch of the party in 2024, he managed its official social media accounts and digital campaigns.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Gupta had previously worked with newspapers, television news channels and digital platforms. He gained prominence for managing Jan Suraaj’s social media campaign during the Bankipur bypoll earlier this year.
Social activist Neha Singh Rathore called for a fair investigation, while the IIMC Alumni Association expressed grief over his death and demanded a thorough probe.
"Team IIMCAA deeply mourns the tragic loss of Devpalik Gupta (2018-19 batch) under mysterious circumstances in Jharkhand," the association said.
