Patna, Feb. 3: Railways today suspended three more travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) in connection with the alleged misbehaviour with a lawmaker and his wife on a running train last week.
Shivesh Kumar, the BJP legislator from Agiyaon in Bhojpur district, and his wife were allegedly mistreated by some railway employees while travelling in an AC compartment of the Danapur-Howrah Express on Friday night. The accused had threatened the legislator with dire consequences and tried to assault him on the train between Patna and Patna City railway stations when he objected to their behaviour.
“TTEs Ajay Kumar and Akhilesh Kumar, posted at Rajendra Nagar Terminus and Danapur station, respectively, were suspended today. Jitendra Singh, the TTE who was on duty in the AC coach of Danapur-Howrah Express (12352) on Friday night when the incident occurred, was also suspended,” an East Central Railway (ECR) official said. Akhilesh was arrested by Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel at Danapur railway station.
Earlier, TTE Pankaj Kumar Singh and booking clerk Saurabh Kumar were suspended by the rail administration after their arrest.
“A three-member committee, comprising assistant commercial manager Subodh Kumar, assistant operations manager (goods) Nilesh Kumar and assistant security commissioner (coaching) of Patna, K. Raghuram Babu, has been formed to investigate the entire episode and submit a report by tomorrow evening. Further action would be taken against the accused on the basis of the report,” the ECR official said.
The GRP authorities, also, have taken action on their part. Patna rail superintendent of police Suresh Prasad Choudhary suspended sub-inspector Vinod Kumar and four constables. They were part of the escort team on the train.
On the other hand, chief minister Nitish Kumar has reportedly talked to the railway minister in connection with the matter. “The chief minister called me today and asked me to be patient. He said he had talked to the people concerned,” Shivesh, the MLA, told The Telegraph.
