HUBBALLI: In a case of blatant misuse of power, a senior railway official from South Western Railway (SWR) in Hubballi attached an inspection saloon to a passenger train going to Jaipur in Rajasthan to bring his household items such as fridge and washing machine.
The officer got approval to carry the saloon for 4,000 km and reached Hubballi with household items two days ago. The officer heads the vigilance department. Manoj Kumar, Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer, allegedly used a Government Inspection Carriage to get his household goods under the guise of official work. The IRS officer was transferred from the post of Chief Vigilance Officer, North Western Railway in Jaipur, to SWR in Hubballi in April 2026.
The officer entitled for shifting of household goods in a railway parcel coach, but he used a Railway Inspection Carriage, which is strictly for official purpose. “The inspection carriage of SWR was booked in the name of Manoj Kumar on the pretext of Vigilance work at Jaipur. The saloon left for Hubballi station on October 6. Household items such as washing machine, refrigerator, electrical items, gym equipment, chairs and other baggage were alighted in Hubballi on October 12,” a source said.
This is not all. Three staff including a SWR technician and RPF constable accompanied the officer to Jaipur and returned with the household luggage, the source added.
P Ananth, General Manager of the South Western Railway, said that the case is under investigation by the Railway Board. “The particular officer has been transferred as of now and has been relieved from the South Western Railways,” he said.
