Man Dies After Alleged Assault Over Metro Seat Dispute
A 48-year-old man died after an alleged assault by a retired IAS officer and his son over a senior citizen seat in the Delhi Metro.
A tragic confrontation over a reserved seat in the Delhi Metro has turned fatal, leaving a 48-year-old man dead. The incident, which allegedly involved a retired IAS officer and his son, unfolded during a heated dispute at the Supreme Court Metro Station on October 8.
The Conflict Over a Reserved Seat
The victim, identified as Pawan Sharma, was traveling with his 65-year-old mother, Durga Sharma, from Gurugram toward their home in Yamuna Vihar. The pair had boarded the train at Dwarka Sector 21 and were seated in the section reserved for senior citizens.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the situation escalated when the train reached the Supreme Court Metro Station. Two men—an elderly individual and a younger man—boarded the coach and reportedly behaved rudely, demanding that the mother and son vacate the seats. While Pawan Sharma attempted to comply, a verbal exchange quickly turned into physical violence.
A Brutal Assault Inside the Coach
The complaint filed by Durga Sharma paints a harrowing picture of the assault. It is alleged that after Pawan made a remark to the elderly man, the senior individual grabbed him by the collar and slapped him. When Pawan attempted to defend himself, the younger man reportedly caught him by the neck and punched him repeatedly in the chest.
"When I tried to intervene and stop the assault on my son, the elderly man held my hands, preventing me from helping him," the complainant stated in the FIR.
The violence ended abruptly when Pawan suddenly collapsed on the floor of the metro train, losing consciousness. While passengers raised an alarm and metro staff rushed to provide assistance, the victim was unable to recover.
Medical Findings and Police Action
Pawan Sharma was rushed to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital via a Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance. However, medical professionals declared him dead upon arrival.
A Medico-Legal Case (MLC) report revealed several injuries sustained by the victim, including:
- Multiple tiny bruises on the right cheek.
- Bruises on the chest near the neck area.
- A small abrasion on the right-hand thumb.
The report also noted that the victim was unconscious and unresponsive at the time of medical examination.
Accused Arrested and Sent to Jail
The Delhi Police have identified the accused as 65-year-old Sanjay Pratap Singh, a retired IAS officer, and his 36-year-old son, Siddharth Singh. Following a preliminary inquiry and an inspection by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, the police registered an FIR at the Supreme Court Metro Police Station.
The accused have been charged under Sections 105 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Both Sanjay Pratap Singh and Siddharth Singh have been arrested and subsequently sent to jail as the investigation continues.