The Bombay High Court has upheld the dismissal of railway ticket booking clerk Rajesh Verma, who was removed from service 26 years ago for failing to return Rs 6 in change to a decoy passenger.
The Court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to support the charges against Verma, and his attempts to challenge the decision were rejected.
In August 1997, Rajesh Verma was stationed at Mumbai's Kurla Terminus Junction when a vigilance team conducted a "decoy check." During this operation, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable posed as a passenger seeking a ticket to Ara, Bihar, worth Rs 214. Verma was expected to return Rs 286 in change after receiving a Rs 500 note for the fare. However, he handed back only Rs 280 to the decoy passenger.
Subsequently, a vigilance team conducted an inspection and discovered a shortfall of Rs 58 in Verma's cashbox on the counter. Additionally, Rs 450 in cash was found concealed in a cupboard located behind Verma's counter. This amount was believed to be acquired through the practice of overcharging passengers.
Following a disciplinary inquiry, Verma was found guilty and removed from service in January 2002. Verma's subsequent appeals against his dismissal were unsuccessful, leading him to approach the Bombay High Court in 2004.
The bench comprising Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sandeep Marne reviewed Verma's case and found no merit in his contentions. Verma argued that he couldn't return the Rs 6 immediately due to a lack of change and had asked the passenger to wait. However, both the decoy passenger and an independent witness did not recall Verma making such a request.
The Court emphasized that there was no evidence suggesting Verma's intention to return the Rs 6 to the decoy passenger. The bench also highlighted that the recovery of Rs 450 from the cupboard was not the only charge against Verma; the more severe charge of overcharging the decoy passenger was substantiated by direct evidence.
Source: Link
Picture Source :