A loco pilot has approached the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes seeking an inquiry, alleging that he was forced to undress before a senior officer in the Lucknow Rail Division to prove he had unhealed wounds from a piles surgery in order to get his leave extended.
In his complaint, the loco pilot also accused the officer of using a casteist slur during the interaction and demanded that an FIR be registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Railway officials said the administration has already initiated a probe into the incident.
According to the complaint, loco pilot Rajesh Meena, who belongs to a tribal community, was suffering from piles and sought leave for surgery. He alleged that his supervisor, Chief Crew Controller (CCC) Ratan Kumar, initially refused to grant it.
Meena said that after repeated requests he was given leave for a week starting February 22, during which he underwent surgery.
When the wound did not heal within that period, he visited a railway health unit where a doctor advised further rest and asked him to obtain a “sick memo” from his department to sanction additional leave.
However, Meena alleged that when he approached the CCC for the memo, the officer doubted his claim.
“After that, I kept medicines, ointment and treatment-related documents on his table. He saw those things and still refused,” Meena claimed.
He alleged that he then had to remove his pants and show the unhealed wound to convince the officer that he had indeed undergone surgery.
A purported video of the incident, recorded by some of the loco pilot’s colleagues, was widely circulated on various WhatsApp groups of railway employees, triggering outrage over what many described as inhuman treatment.
Meena further alleged that even after the incident, the CCC refused to show any sympathy and said the senior divisional electrical engineer had directed that a sick memo should not be issued to anyone.
“Using a casteist slur, he asked me to get out and said or else, he would throw me out,” Meena alleged in the complaint.
Meena has sought an independent and time-bound probe into the incident, registration of an FIR under the SC/ST Act against the officials concerned, departmental disciplinary action, compensation for mental agony, and guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Following the controversy, the office of the Divisional Railway Manager of the Lucknow Division said on X that the matter had been taken seriously.
“The incident dated 02.03.26 has been taken serious note of. The sick memo was issued as per due procedure after consultation with the competent authority. Indiscipline and inappropriate conduct in office premises are being examined, and suitable action will be taken as per rules.”
“The employee concerned was already granted sick leave from 02.03.26 till 08.03.26,” the post added.