Tragedy on the Delhi Metro: Retired IAS Officer and Son Accused of Fatal Assault Over Senior Citizen Seat

On the afternoon of October 8, a routine journey for a mother‑son duo turned into a nightmare on the Delhi Metro. Pawan Sharma, 48, was travelling with his 65‑year‑old mother, Durga Sharma, from Dwarka Sector 21 back to their home in Yamuna Vihar. They had taken a seat that is specifically reserved for senior citizens.

When the train reached the Supreme Court station, two men boarded – an elderly gentleman and a younger man who would later be identified as San Sanjay Pratap Singh, a 65‑year‑old retired IAS officer, and his 36‑year‑old son, Siddharth Singh. According to the victim’s mother, the pair approached rudely and demanded that they vacate the seat.

Pawan objected, saying he would stand up, and the older man allegedly seized him by the collar and gave him a slap. The situation escalated quickly: the younger Singh is said to have clutched Pawan’s neck and repeatedly punched him in the chest.

Durga tried to intervene, but the older man allegedly held her hands, preventing her from helping her son. Within seconds, Pawan collapsed, unconscious, on the floor of the carriage. Fellow passengers raised the alarm; Metro staff arrived, placed him on a stretcher, and escorted the two assailants off the train.

Paramedics rushed Pawan to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital in a Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police registered an FIR at the Supreme Court Metro Police Station on October 9, naming Sanjay Pratap Singh and Siddharth Singh as the accused.

Investigating officers, led by Sub‑Inspector Satish Kumar, gathered a medico‑legal report that documented bruises on Pawan’s cheek, chest and a minor abrasion on his thumb. The report also confirmed that he was unresponsive and unable to give a statement. The investigation has been handed over to the crime team and the Forensic Science Laboratory for further analysis.

Both Sanjay Pratap Singh and his son have been arrested, taken into custody, and are currently in jail pending further legal proceedings. The case is still under investigation, with authorities probing the exact sequence of events that led to the tragic death of a man who was merely trying to sit with his mother.