A Family Vacation Turns Tragic at New Delhi Railway Station
On June 25, 2023, what should have been the beginning of a joyful family holiday became a scene of unimaginable horror at New Delhi Railway Station. Thirty-five-year-old teacher and architect Sakshi Ahuja was walking toward a platform with her children's laughter echoing behind her when a sudden flash and scream shattered the moment.
Systemic Failure Claims a Life
Sakshi was electrocuted by exposed live wires near a high mast pole at one of India's busiest transportation hubs. This was not merely an unfortunate accident but rather a stark manifestation of systemic apathy where routine maintenance had become a myth and passenger safety was treated as an afterthought.
Outside the station, her father Lokesh Chopra was searching for a parking spot, completely unaware that his daughter's life was being extinguished just meters away. The family's planned vacation dissolved into a nightmare that would permanently alter their lives.
A Father's Unending Quest for Justice
For sixty-six-year-old retired government official Lokesh Chopra, time essentially stopped on that fateful day. Nearly three years have passed, but Chopra spends his days navigating the cold bureaucratic corridors of Tis Hazari courts, watching a trial that moves at a glacial pace while memories of his daughter's final moments remain painfully vivid.
"In cases where a life is lost due to negligence, at least the trials should be conducted in fast-track courts," Chopra stated emphatically. He argues this was no ordinary negligent act under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code but rather amounts to culpable homicide.
The Legal Battle Drags On
Despite early promises of swift justice, the legal process has been painfully slow with the next hearing scheduled for April 8, 2026. According to Chopra, the exposed wires represented gross disregard for human life that left his young grandchildren without their mother and created a deep void in the family.
Sakshi was pursuing a promising career at the time of her death. She had initially worked as an architect before switching to teaching mathematics and architecture at a private school in east Delhi. Her father describes how the tragedy left permanent scars on the entire family.
Children Witness Mother's Tragic Death
"Her son and daughter, then aged seven and eight, were present at the time of the incident and were deeply affected," Chopra revealed. "Their studies were also impacted. It is extremely difficult to live life after losing a mother at such a young age."
Following the incident, Northern Railways formed an internal committee while Delhi Police filed a First Information Report under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.
Accountability Remains Elusive
The police chargesheet named seven employees including two senior section engineers and five technicians—officials responsible for maintaining the electric pole and ensuring passenger safety at this bustling railway station in the heart of the capital.
However, for the family living in east Delhi's Preet Vihar, accountability remains largely on paper. The system isn't merely a collection of government departments but rather the entity that neglected a wire, ignored a clear risk, and ultimately traded a mother's life for what appears to have been a moment of oversight.
As the legal proceedings continue their slow march toward 2026, Sakshi Ahuja's family represents countless others who have suffered due to infrastructure negligence, waiting for a justice system that often moves too slowly to provide meaningful closure.
