Without inquiry, S Rly reinstates 5 under scanner in parcel scam
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai: 05.01.2019
Southern Railway on Friday gave a virtual clean chit to five railway employees, who were allegedly involved in a parcel scam at Chennai Central, by reinstating some of them in the same station before conducting any official inquiry.
In addition, the main whistleblower of the scam, K Sampathram, has been shunted to Nungambakkam on administrative grounds. Sampathram, a chief supervisor, is also an office bearer of Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), which is their sole recognised employees union.
Southern Railway had instituted several inquiries against the five, but they are yet to start as the employees had reported sick ever since the scam broke.
Transfer orders accessed by TOI showed that the main accused and branch secretary of SRMU, D Yuvaraj, was shifted from Central to the neighbouring Moore Market Complex (MMC), which is the suburban terminal in the same complex.
N Kannaiah, SRMU chief and a relative of Yuvaraj, denied all allegations.
A Karuppuswamy and Thiagarajan, two other accused, have been retained at Central, but shifted to the booking office from the parcel office. The others, Khader Basha and Anthony D’ Cruz have been shifted to Chennai Egmore booking office.
The scam pertains to the alleged theft of 11 parcels of vests bound from Central to Howrah on November 13. A control message was given by the head of commercial department in Chennai division to suspend the five on the same day.
A senior official from Chennai division said the transfer was done due to ‘pressure from top management’. “Despite the division recommending an inter-divisional transfer, the headquarters has not acted on it,” said an officer, who is not authorised to speak to the press.
K Nandakumar, general secretary of Rail Mazdoor Union, a rival union, said the case had been diluted without investigation which showed that officials were also complicit. “It was a case fit for dismissal of the employee,” he said. Chennai divisional railway manager Naveen Gulati did not respond to calls. General manager RK Kulshreshtha said it was an illogical decision and refuted allegations of complicity within the union. “We will check if this can be reversed. Union cannot interfere in our decisions,” he said.
The main whistleblower of the parcel scam, K Sampathram, has been shunted out to Nungambakkam
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai: 05.01.2019
Southern Railway on Friday gave a virtual clean chit to five railway employees, who were allegedly involved in a parcel scam at Chennai Central, by reinstating some of them in the same station before conducting any official inquiry.
In addition, the main whistleblower of the scam, K Sampathram, has been shunted to Nungambakkam on administrative grounds. Sampathram, a chief supervisor, is also an office bearer of Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), which is their sole recognised employees union.
Southern Railway had instituted several inquiries against the five, but they are yet to start as the employees had reported sick ever since the scam broke.
Transfer orders accessed by TOI showed that the main accused and branch secretary of SRMU, D Yuvaraj, was shifted from Central to the neighbouring Moore Market Complex (MMC), which is the suburban terminal in the same complex.
N Kannaiah, SRMU chief and a relative of Yuvaraj, denied all allegations.
A Karuppuswamy and Thiagarajan, two other accused, have been retained at Central, but shifted to the booking office from the parcel office. The others, Khader Basha and Anthony D’ Cruz have been shifted to Chennai Egmore booking office.
The scam pertains to the alleged theft of 11 parcels of vests bound from Central to Howrah on November 13. A control message was given by the head of commercial department in Chennai division to suspend the five on the same day.
A senior official from Chennai division said the transfer was done due to ‘pressure from top management’. “Despite the division recommending an inter-divisional transfer, the headquarters has not acted on it,” said an officer, who is not authorised to speak to the press.
K Nandakumar, general secretary of Rail Mazdoor Union, a rival union, said the case had been diluted without investigation which showed that officials were also complicit. “It was a case fit for dismissal of the employee,” he said. Chennai divisional railway manager Naveen Gulati did not respond to calls. General manager RK Kulshreshtha said it was an illogical decision and refuted allegations of complicity within the union. “We will check if this can be reversed. Union cannot interfere in our decisions,” he said.
The main whistleblower of the parcel scam, K Sampathram, has been shunted out to Nungambakkam
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