E-Paper
Bus Conductor’s Suicide: Family cites unjust job termination by roadways authority as contributing factor
Mohit Yadav’s family members have accused roadways authorities of pushing him into depression by terminating his contract as a conductor, which was his family’s source of income.
AGRA/LUCKNOW A 32-year-old bus conductor employed by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), who had been terminated for allowing two Muslim passengers to offer namaz during a journey, was found dead near a railway track close to his hometown in Mainpuri.
Mohit Yadav’s family members have accused roadways authorities of pushing him into depression by terminating his contract as a conductor, which was his family’s source of income.
“We received a report about a body lying on a railway track around 8:30 am on Monday, and we swiftly responded. Local residents identified the deceased as Mohit Yadav, a resident of Nagla Khushali village, located approximately 500 metres from where the body was found,” said Arvind Kumar, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Mainpuri Railway Station.
While no suicide note was discovered on or near the body, the victim’s mobile phone showed numerous incoming calls. The post-mortem examination attributed excessive bleeding and shock as the cause of death. Family members claimed that Mohit Yadav was struck by a train while crossing the tracks. An investigation is underway.
More than two months ago, Mohit Yadav had lost his job with UPSRTC after a video of an incident on June 3 went viral on social media. The video purportedly showed a roadways bus stopping on the Delhi-Bareilly highway to allow two passengers to perform namaz. The video came to the attention of roadways authorities in Bareilly, as the bus was from the Bareilly depot.
Later, Mohit Yadav was terminated in the initial week of June. Following his suspension, Mohit returned to his village, Nagla Khushali in Mainpuri, where his body was discovered near the Kosma railway station on Monday. Family members have attributed Mohit Yadav’s depression and eventual “suicide” to the perceived unjust treatment by roadways authorities.
“My son fell into depression due to losing his job for no fault of his own. He mentioned that he was going to our other house in Ghiror town of Mainpuri and left the house on foot. However, his body was later found near the Kosma railway station,” said Rajendra Singh, Mohit’s father.
According to Manoj Yadav, Mohit’s younger brother, “On June 3, my brother allowed the two Muslim passengers to perform their namaz while the bus was stationary for the passenger using the restroom. The Muslim passengers completed their namaz during this time. However, some passengers on the bus recorded a video of the halted bus, focusing on the namaz incident. Meanwhile, UPSRTC officials, without affording my brother a fair opportunity to present his side, terminated him. Upon losing his job, he fell into depression after returning to the village.”
Ravindra Kumar, the general secretary of the Roadways Employees’ Union, Uttar Pradesh, said that Mohit had submitted a reconsideration request to the state road and transport corporation. However, his letter was allegedly overlooked by UPSRTC officials.
“Mohit sent a letter on July 1 and persisted in reaching out to the authorities, hoping for a renewal of his contract. However, his matter was never taken up in the arbitration hearings held by UPSRTC officials,” alleged Kumar.
While standard procedure involves senior corporation officials holding arbitration meetings for suspended or terminated employees to present their side of the argument, Yadav’s letter was ignored during the meeting scheduled for August 16, following his contract termination and reconsideration request.
Another meeting, slated for August 29, was also postponed. Kumar suggested, “His contract was terminated, while his colleague, the bus driver, was suspended. The suddenness of his job loss, coupled with the uncertainty of regaining it, likely contributed to his anxiety, ultimately leading to this unfortunate step.”
