Alipore Court Restrains SERMC Leadership Over Alleged Financial Irregularities and Unauthorized Appointments
Kolkata: In a significant judicial intervention, the Sixth Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Alipore, Kolkata passed an interim injunction restraining key office bearers of the South Eastern Railwaymen’s Congress (#SERMC) from acting upon contentious co-option appointments and transferring union funds. The order, issued on July 30, 2026, by Judge Biswanath Pramanick, addresses a representative suit filed on behalf of the union’s general members against alleged administrative highhandedness, fraud, and financial impropriety.
The legal proceedings stem from serious allegations directed primarily against Defendant No. 2, the General Secretary of SERMC, and Defendant No. 1. The plaintiff’s submission before the court highlighted that Defendant No. 2 arbitrarily issued co-option letters dated August 25, 2025, August 27, 2025, and June 04, 2026, alongside nomination letters appointing Defendant No. 1 as Joint General Secretary and Divisional Coordinator for the Kharagpur Division. These appointments were allegedly made without convening mandatory meetings or securing the requisite consent of other office-bearers, violating the union’s constitution.
Beyond procedural lapses, the court petition outlined severe instances of financial malpractices and fraudulent activities.
According to the submissions, Defendant No. 2 fraudulently extracted Rs 1,50,000 from Dhaniakhali Garmin Nursing Home in February 2024 under the pretext of granting railway employment, leading to an official complaint to the Principal Chief Personnel Officer (PCPO) on August 12, 2025. Furthermore, during the process of securing No Dues Certificates for the Secret Ballot Election, substantial amounts—including Rs 5,50,000 collected from member Ajoy Kumar Nath via demand draft and UPI transfers, and Rs 2,00,000 from Debasish Mukherjee via bank draft—were allegedly taken and withheld instead of being refunded. The petition alleged that these funds were illegally siphoned into the bank accounts of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) for personal enrichment.
The legal friction further escalated following an organizational meeting at Kharagpur on April 09, 2026, where Defendant No. 1 allegedly created severe disruptions using abusive language, resulting in a mass petition submitted to the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Prior complaints lodged with the West Port Police Station on April 03 and April 22, 2026, yielded no progress, prompting the plaintiff to approach the Learned ACJM Court at Alipore under criminal proceedings seeking an investigation. Apprehending that continued administrative and financial control by the defendants would inflict unquantifiable and irreparable monetary and operational harm on SERMC, the plaintiff sought urgent court restraint.
Evaluating the documentary evidence presented—including membership receipts, union constitutional frameworks, disputed co-option communications, and copies of criminal applications—the Civil Court found that the plaintiff established a strong prima facie case regarding procedural illegalities and financial irregularities. Observing that the balance of convenience heavily favored the general union members and that delay would cause irreparable loss and multiply litigation, the court issued the interim injunction order.
Under the ruling effective till August 19, 2026, the defendants are strictly prohibited from operating or enforcing decisions based on the co-option lists dated August 25, 2025, August 27, 2025, and June 04, 2026. Additionally, the court explicitly restrained them from siphoning or transferring any union or member funds into other accounts, specifically including #NFIR bank accounts. Show-cause notices have been ordered to be served upon the defendants, requiring them to respond within seven days of receipt, with the matter scheduled for further hearing and return of service on August 19, 2026.