DTC cuts more than 400 bus marshals for having criminal records, fake IDs

At least 90 home guards working as bus marshals have criminal record, while 374 either had a fake ID or had incomplete or incorrect information on it

The Delhi Transport Corporation has removed at least 467 bus marshals, deployed for the safety of passengers, particularly women, after an internal investigation found that dozens of them had criminal records or had used fake identity cards.

Officials said that DTC had deployed around 3,200 home guards for the safety of passengers in over 3,500 buses. (Photo for representation)

According to DTC and Delhi Police records, at least 90 home guards working as bus marshals have criminal record, while a further 374 either had a fake ID or had incomplete or incorrect information on it.

All 464 of these marshals have been removed and sent them back to their home department. “We have repatriated them back to the Directorate of Home Guards,” a DTC official told HT.

Officials said that DTC had deployed around 3,200 home guards for the safety of passengers in over 3,500 buses. Each marshal was paid ₹970 per day. These marshals were appointed during the tenure of the previous Aam Aadmi Party government.

The official quoted above said that the transport department ordered an internal inquiry after which police were roped in to gather any criminal records.

Last week, a 45-year-old Delhi transport bus marshal, an ex-serviceman, was arrested for allegedly biting off the finger of a 34-year-old conductor following a quarrel over a bus route.

The accused was identified as Man Singh, and the victim as Jitendra Kumar Punia, a resident of Munirka.

Police said the control room received a call at 7.46pm reporting a quarrel involving a bus conductor. Punia told the police that bus marshal Singh had physically assaulted him and bitten off his finger while plying on bus route number 392.

“The cause of the quarrel was that the bus driver and marshal wanted to take the bus, which runs between Sector 62 Noida and Dhaula Kuan, via the Lajpat Nagar Ring Road flyover while conductor Jitendra insisted on taking the parallel road instead,” an officer said. “As a result, the bus got stuck in a jam, causing significant delay.”

After reaching Dhaula Kuan Terminal, a quarrel broke out between Singh and Punia, during which Singh allegedly bit off Punia’s left middle finger.

An officer said that since April 2015, DTC has been engaging home guards as bus marshals to ensure passenger safety, particularly for women. Currently, bus marshals are deployed in 39 out of 41 DTC depots across Delhi.