For many civil servants irony dies a thousand deaths: Finally PMO brings justice
How will the Government compensate for the loss of career, reputation, relations, mental trauma, agony and harassment caused to Sandeep Silas?
Will the Government hold all those accountable conspirators for destroying Silas and punish them after due enquiry into their roles?
New Delhi: So, what if correction is made but the damage is done to the reputation of an officer and the scar is likely to remain forever. The case in point here is of an IRTS officer – Sandeep Silas – belonging to 1984 batch.
The ACC on May 6, 2023 approved the empanelment of #SandeepSilas in HAG for 2016-17 Panel on notional basis, almost three years after his superannuation and almost eight years after he was implicated in the #RailNeer case in 2015 that finally proved a false case.
It is a travesty of justice what the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s office did to Silas in an illegal, wrong and motivated case. #IndianMandarins had brought out the fact that despite the Railway Board Vigilance and Central Vigilance Commission (#CVC) reports in 2016 clearly stating that “no case is made out”, and “not even fit for minor penalty”, the then Railway Minister went ahead and issued a prosecution sanction against Silas. When that was quashed by Delhi High Court on March 15, 2019, the next Railway Minister’s office ignoring the High Court Judgement re-issued the prosecution sanction.
Misusing CBI and ED, Silas was arrested faultily by Sanjeev Gautam, an IRS C&IT, who was responsible for harassing the Bansal family so much so that all four committed suicides. Silas was sent to CBI Custody and then Judicial Custody. He served as CCM (Catering) Northern Railway just for two months that too on leave vacancy.
The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister in its wisdom has finally dispersed all doubts about Sandeep Silas by restoring his seniority. But there are many unanswered questions:
- How civil servants who served the previous regime have been treated for their outstanding work? Silas was the Private Secretary to Mallikarjun Kharge during his tenure as Labour & Employment Minister.
- Why Balance Sheet of IRCTC was not seen by the investigating agencies as during the period it reported profit and NIL stock on hand. Apparently, it was supplying all RailNeer bottles that were provided to Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi, station vendors at important stations and Superfast trains.
- How can 100% RailNeer bottles be supplied to Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains when they are not produced equivalent to the entire demand?
- Sandeep Silas and M S Chalia, the previous incumbent, allegedly caused loss to IRCTC and thereby to the Government by not supplying 100% RailNeer in collusion with contractors. Can anyone supply something that is not produced? Can the loss be incurred on non-supply of an item that is not produced? The Bottler is IRCTC, the contractor to supply RailNeer to trains and stations was of IRCTC, then how Silas and Chalia were raided by CBI and arrested?
- What was the role of then MD/IRCTC #AKManocha and his sister-in-law #ManiAnand, then ED (Tourism & Catering) Railway Board. Why did the duo not say that no loss had occurred? How were they benefited by implicating Silas?
- Why was the Vigilance clearance of the Railway Board Vigilance Directorate ignored by the Railway Minister?
- Why was the CVC clearance ignored by the Railway Minister? These were institutional clearances, which were not considered and Prosecution Sanction granted.
- Why was the Judgement of Delhi High Court quashing Prosecution Sanction on March 15, 2019, was ignored and Prosecution Sanction re-issued?
- What was the role of the then #CRB #AKMittal who called Silas in his chamber and assured him that CVC was the Superintending Authority of CBI and it had written in its advice that “no case made out”, so everything will be restored to him. Mittal took two years’ extension as CRB on the strength of wrongly implicating Silas and Chalia.
- What was the role of Sushant Kumar Mishra the then EDCC to Chairman Railway Board (CRB) and after that Secretary Railway Board, and junior to Sandeep Silas in IRTS. In power corridors it is whispered that #SKMishra the then Secretary Railway Board, the file in an endless loop so that it could not conclude and Silas retired in the present position only. The advantage was of #SKMishra who got the post of AM/Traffic which could have been occupied by Sandeep Silas as his senior. He was alleged to have even hidden the file for the last six months so that Silas retires ignominiously.
- Why was the advice of the then Law & Justice Secretary asking the Railways to implement the High Court Delhi Judgement in letter and spirit, ignored by the Railway Board and two Railway Ministers?
- Why was this HAG regularization and seniority fixation proposal only sent to #DOPT after Silas took recourse to #CPGRAMS portal of #PMO, seeking justice and not in regular course? Here also Railways dragged the CPGRAM advice for almost two years before drafting a proposal?
- How will the Government compensate for the loss of career, reputation, relations, mental trauma, agony and harassment caused to Sandeep Silas? Will the Government hold all those accountable conspirators for destroying Silas and punish them after due enquiry into their roles? @Some Other Important Questions:
- It is learned that the infamous RailNeer case was not based on any complaint, either by Railway Department or any other particular person. It was based on “Source Information”, given by a vested interest to Special Unit (SU) in CBI? Who was this “Source Informer” who gave false information? This was also a subject of arguments before Delhi High Court, when the matter was sub-judice.
- RailNeer is a Pan-India Railway supply, not just for only Northern Railway where Chalia and Silas were serving. There are total 16 Zones? On no other Zone any enquiry was done or any action was taken. Everyone was content with implicating Chalia and Silas. WHY? Because, RailNeer, it’s pricing and matters of supply were under the purview of Railway Board where Mani Anand was sitting as ED/Catering & Tourism. It was not just a matter of one Zonal Railway but entire Indian Railway.
- There were short supplies by #IRCTC on every Zone every day, that’s even today. And, price differential between RailNeer and market brands was there. It is part of official record that the then #CCM of Western Railway #CPSharma had written to Railway Board that Western Railway will not supply RailNeer because it’s proving to be costly. The CCM wrote that he will not cause loss to Railway exchequer because he was expected to give profit to IRCTC.
- The matter of RailNeer pricing had been under consideration of the the #MemberTraffic in Railway Board and there exists a Minute of Meeting wherein MD/IRCTC was asked to go into the pricing issue.
- A totally motivated case, which ruined the career of two officers because of Railway Board’s incompetence, lack of sense of justice and vested interest of some venomous officers. It is a joint failure of the then Ministers, and the then Board.
Courtesy: IndianMandarins.com with some minor correction and edition.