Investigation into the death of a Delhi Metro security guard following a scuffle while deboarding the Yoga Express at Shahdara Railway Station widened on Saturday, with police detaining eight suspects and examining a viral video that has raised questions over the handling of the incident.
Pankaj Dhama, a 35-year-old resident of Khekra in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, was allegedly killed in an assault by co-passengers on platform number 3 of the railway station, police said.
A security guard posted at the IP Extension Metro Station, Dhama was on his way to his village when the incident took place.
According to police, Dhama had boarded the Yoga Express at Old Delhi and was standing near the door of the coach when the train halted at Shahdara, allegedly obstructing the movement of passengers.
The alleged obstruction led to an argument that soon escalated into a physical assault involving punches and kicks, police said.
A 52-second video, purportedly capturing the incident, showed chaos on the platform and a policeman attempting to intervene in the scuffle. Dhama was later seen lying on the ground surrounded by a crowd.
The footage has triggered questions over the absence of immediate first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
According to police, there have been conflicting accounts regarding the presence of security personnel at the spot.
A Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer said the accused had been detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and an FIR had been registered.
“An ambulance was called within five minutes after the injured person’s condition deteriorated, but by then his family had taken him to hospital in an e-rickshaw,” the officer said.
A medico-legal case was registered under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police also detained eight suspects from Muzaffarnagar Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh. They are being brought to Delhi for questioning, officials said.
Three aspects — the exact number of people involved in the assault, whether adequate security arrangements were in place at the station, and whether Dhama received timely medical assistance — are now under investigation, police said.
CCTV footage from the station is being analysed to establish the exact sequence of events. Dhama’s family has alleged negligence and demanded a fair investigation.
