He Went To Train Pantry Car, And Never Returned: Prashant Kishor's Party Media Head Found Dead In Forest

News india He Went To Train Pantry Car, And Never Returned: Prashant Kishor's Party Media Head Found Dead In Forest

Last Updated:October 27, 2026, 16:17 IST

Jan Suraaj spokesperson Kumar Saurabh Singh has called for a swift and impartial investigation into the death of the party’s social media backend team lead, Devpalik Gupta.

Devpalik Gupta, a 31-year-old digital communications manager associated with Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, was found dead in a forest in Jharkhand after going missing during a train journey from Ranchi to Patna on Monday, October 27, according to news agency ANI.

Gupta, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in Delhi, was travelling aboard the Jan Shatabdi Express with his friend and colleague Gautam Kumar when he disappeared. His disappearance triggered a search involving railway security personnel and local police.

According to the information available, Gupta reportedly left his berth to visit the pantry car but did not return. His mobile phone was also switched off, adding to concerns about his whereabouts. His body was subsequently found in a forest in Jharkhand, raising questions about what happened after he went missing.

Gupta Went Missing During Train Journey

Gupta, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, was travelling with Kumar aboard the Jan Shatabdi Express. The two boarded the train at Ranchi railway station, and it departed at around 2.25 pm.

According to Kumar, Gupta told him about 10 minutes after the train began its journey that he was going to the pantry car.

When Gupta did not return, Kumar went to look for him. He first checked the pantry car near their coach and then searched the other coaches of the train. However, Gupta could not be found anywhere on the train.

His disappearance prompted Kumar to report the matter to the Government Railway Police (GRP), following which railway security personnel and local police began efforts to trace him.

CCTV Footage Examined At Muri Junction

Railway authorities examined CCTV footage from Muri Junction to determine whether Gupta had got off the train at the station. Muri was the first stop after Ranchi.

Sanjeev Singh, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) inspector at Muri Junction, told the media that the information available indicated Gupta had not deboarded the train there.

Officials continued trying to trace Gupta, but his mobile phone remained switched off.

A joint team of local police and RPF personnel was also deployed to search for him as efforts to establish his whereabouts continued.

Search Ends In Tragedy

The search for Gupta ended with the discovery of his body in a forest in Jharkhand. ANI reported the development in its latest update.

Gupta was associated with Jan Suraaj Party as a digital communications manager and was part of the communications team of the party led by Prashant Kishor. He was also an alumnus of IIMC, Delhi.

The circumstances surrounding his disappearance from the moving train and the subsequent discovery of his body remain unclear from the information available.

Party Calls For Investigation

Jan Suraaj national spokesperson Kumar Saurabh Singh has called for a swift and impartial investigation into the death of the party’s social media backend team lead, Devpalik Gupta, whose body was recovered near railway tracks close to Muri, near Ranchi.

In a post on X, Singh said the 31-year-old IIMC graduate, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, had been missing since Tuesday afternoon while travelling on the Ranchi-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express. He said an FIR was registered at 9 pm.

Singh said the party did not know the circumstances surrounding Gupta’s death and had no basis to claim a political or other conspiracy. He urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to direct senior officials to ensure a fair probe. Gupta’s body is being taken to RIMS, Ranchi, for a postmortem, he added.

About the Author

Shuddhanta PatraSenior Sub-Editor

Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As...Read More

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