Unauthorised person operating trains, is there Railway administration sleeping?

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Two muslim youth by mix hindu names, including a minor, from Murshidabad in West Bengal, who had been operating trains at Sealdah Division, Eastern Railway instead of a loco pilot for a long time, ran out of luck on 12th August 2021 in the Erode station, Salem Division, Southern Railway.

Report to CSC/SR by the RPF/Erode

They were arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on the complaint given by the TTE Dharam Singh Meena who was spotted them in first SLR cum disabled coach of train no. 02642 Shalimar-Trivendram (SHM-TVC) special, for travelling with invalid authority and handed over to the RPF at Erode railway station.

It was a shock for the RPF officers when they came to know that both the accused, a 16 year old minor and a 21 year old Esrafil had been operating trains. The minor has been operating trains for the past three years and Esrafil started to operate the engine three months ago.

The duo was caught on suspicion when the TTE noticed them in the loco pilotтАЩs uniform carrying red/green signal flags, one signal torch lights and name badges. They were travelling on a train from SHM to TVC in Kerala to look for job opportunities.

During the interrogation, the duo allegedly admitted to having been trained by a loco pilot named Audhesh Kumar Singh at Lalagola station in West Bengal, and the minor confessed that he has been operating trains for the past three years.

RPF sources confirmed and said, “Loco pilot Audhesh Kumar Singh from West Bengal trained them as Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP) and later asked them to operate trains in his stead. They have been operating both goods and passenger trains. He also gave them uniforms, name badges and other items used by loco pilots. The two were also paid.”

The loco pilot paid the minor between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000. The boy started operating trains when he was 14 years old, sources said.

The loco pilot started training Esrafil three months ago, they added.

A case was registered at Erode RPF post – RA Cr. No. 313/2021 & 314/2021 U/S 137, 145 (b), 155 & 153 against the above persons.

After adopting all legal formalities, minor aged 16 year was produced before the juvenile justice board at Erode and he was sent to observation home at Perundurai up to 26th August 2021.

Other person Esrafil Singh aged 21 year was produced before JM/II/Erode and he was sent for remand under judicial custody up to 28th August 2021.

The Divisional Railway Manager, Salem has alerted the concerned authorities in Eastern Railway, and the loco pilot will be identified and action initiated, sources said.

Postscript: In the West Bengal and specially in Kolkata area, there is lots of frauds going on in commercial staff like Ticket Checking, Ticket Booking & Goods/Parcel Clerks, ECRC etc cadres, an thorough enquiry, investigation and verification by each staff is needed. Actually, it should be taken seriously and start verification of records on each and every station by the divisional authorities.

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