: North Central Railway (NCR) dismissed an office superintendent accused of demanding a ₹ 70,000 bribe from an assistant Loco Pilot couple to facilitate a transfer. A departmental inquiry against another accused railway official is still underway.
Office superintendent Rajendra Mani Tripathi, posted at the DRM office in Prayagraj, has been dismissed from service following departmental proceedings. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Tripathi and Kumar for allegedly demanding money to facilitate the transfer of the wife of an assistant Loco Pilot to Prayagraj. Following their arrests, NCR initiated departmental proceedings and initially placed both officials under suspension. NCR General Manager Naresh Pal Singh subsequently ordered stringent action in the matter.
Both officials were arrested in Prayagraj and sent to jail on September 10.
NCR Chief Public Relations Officer Shivam Sharma confirmed Tripathi’s dismissal. Tripathi was dismissed on charges including bringing disrepute to the Railways, while the inquiry against Kumar remains pending. The woman had applied for a transfer to Prayagraj on spouse grounds. When the transfer process was delayed, the couple approached APO Arvind Kumar at the DRM office. Kumar allegedly directed them to meet office superintendent Rajendra Mani Tripathi.
The assistant Loco Pilot, a resident of Meerapur, is posted in Prayagraj, while his wife, also an assistant Loco Pilot, is posted in Kanpur, according to the CBI FIR.
Tripathi allegedly demanded ₹ 70,000 from the couple to facilitate the transfer. Instead of paying the money, the couple approached the CBI and lodged a complaint on September 8. The inquiry against APO Arvind Kumar, the other accused in the case, is continuing. A report concerning Kumar is expected to be sent to the Railway Board after the inquiry establishes his role and examines the allegations against him. This led to the corruption case and subsequent action against the railway officials.
