Notices issued to GM, Chief Safety Commissioner

Patna, July 2: The Railway police today issued notices to General Manager and Chief Safety Commissioner of East Central Railway in connection with the pilferage of Nationa Saving Certificates and Kisan Vikas Patras from Patna junction in 1998.

DIG (Rail) Ajay Verma said thorough and fair inquiry was not conducted by the Railway Protection Force and the persons involved in the scam were not booked under appropriate sections of Indian Penal Code.

'Railway Protection Force(RPF) has the responsibility for the safety of railway goods but it failed to perform its duties and postal sureties worth Rs 80 crores were stolen from the wagon stationed at railway yard of Patna Junction' he added.

He said fresh inquiry in the case had been ordered to book the guilties in the case.

Mr Verma said General Manager and Chief Safety Commissioner of East Central Railway had been asked to reply about the certain queries on the suspected role of RPF and some railway officials in the entire episode.

He said the wagon containing parcel packets Kisan Vikas Patra and National Savings Certificates, which were to be sent to Howrah on December 25, 1997 but it was detained and stationed in the railway yard of Patna Junction. He said that postal surities were stolen during January and Ferbuary 1998.

During this period, seals of the concerned wagon were allegedly found broken several times but it was re-sealed without completing formalities.

In the show cause notice issued to Safety Commissioner and General Manager, the rail police had sought expaination why the concerned wagon was detained in Patna for two months which was scheduled to be sent to Howarah.

He pointed out that the seals of the wagon were found broken six times during January and February 1998. He said that role of 61 people including contractors, rail officials, and police official of Railway Protection Force had been found prima facie suspected in the case.

Complete details of railaway officials and security personnel involved in the case had been demanded from the GM and safety commissioner.

UNI