Two contract cleaning workers employed with Southern Railway were arrested on Thursday for their role in the death of a man they allegedly assaulted at Chennai Central Railway Station on June 2.

The deceased, whose identity remains unknown, was reportedly caught trying to steal a bag from the duo—Suraj (26) and Pradeep (23), both from Kanpur—while they were asleep on platform 7 around 3 a.m. The suspects allegedly thrashed the man, who then fled the scene.

Later that morning, around 8 a.m., passersby spotted him unconscious on Wall Tax Road and alerted the authorities. He was admitted to a government hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on June 5. His body has been sent for postmortem.

CCTV footage from the railway station confirmed the assault. The Chennai Central Government Railway Police (GRP) traced the suspects, who were on duty aboard an express train, and arrested them.

GRP officials stated that while the accused did assault the man, there was no intent to kill. Hence, they have been booked under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rather than murder.

Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are on to identify the deceased.