Kamal Ghorui
LUCKNOW: A 37-year-old loco pilot posted in the Lucknow division of Northern Railway, who had recently undergone surgery for piles, unexpectedly removed his trousers before a senior official when the latter sought proof of his illness for extension of his sick leave. The incident that occurred on the morning of March 2 was recorded on a smartphone. The video went viral on social media, triggered widespread reactions within railway circles and led to the loco pilot’s brief suspension before it was revoked.
The loco pilot (shunter), posted at Lucknow’s Charbagh railway station, underwent surgery for piles on Feb 22. Following the procedure, he was granted leave till Feb 28. However, as his surgical wounds had not fully healed, he sought an extension on medical grounds after consulting a railway doctor, who advised him to obtain a mandatory ‘sick memo’ from the office. According to the loco pilot, the official declined to issue the memo and allegedly asked him to resume duty, repeatedly demanding proof of his medical condition. “Despite showing medical documents, the sick memo was not issued. I was repeatedly asked for proof. In desperation, I pulled down my trousers to show my surgical wound so that he could understand the seriousness of my condition,” the railway staff told TOI. He claimed that this was not the first time he had been asked to provide proof in medical or emergency situations. He cited a previous instance when he was allegedly asked to produce evidence of a relative’s hospitalization when he asked for leave. Following the March 2 incident, loco-pilot union representatives intervened and he was granted leave. However, after visuals of the incident surfaced on social media on March 3, the official allegedly accused the loco pilot of creating an obscene scene inside the office and misbehaviour. Based on the complaint, he was suspended on March 3. But the suspension was revoked on March 4.
