‘Misuse’ of rly juniors invites hc rap

The Delhi High Court has wondered if senior officers of Railways were brazenly using junior staff attached to them for their private needs.

The Delhi High Court has wondered if senior officers of Railways were brazenly using junior staff attached to them for their private needs.

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The issue came up in a case in which a senior Railway Board official (name withheld) used a Bungalow Khalasi S. Prajapati attached with him, to work as a servant with his daughter in Delhi while he was posted in Allahabad.

Prajapati moved HC against his dismissal from service for absenting himself from “duty at Allahabad” for a considerable time from June 8, 1998.

He alleged before HC that the dismissal was the result of a false report made by the official’s daughter. Realising his posting in Delhi was illegal, the court found that the Railway had forged the muster sheet to show that Prajapati was absent from Allahabad office.

“The case raises questions about the manner in which the staff attached to the senior Railway officers are being moved from one place to the other for their private needs, contrary to the specific job description of such person.”, Justice S. Muralidhar noted while ordering Prajapati’s reinstatement.