Loco Pilot Denied Sick Leave After Piles Surgery, Undresses To Show Injury; Union Demands Action

Lucknow: After being frustrated against denied leave for rest after surgery for piles, a loco pilot in the Lucknow Rail Division undressed himself before a senior officer to display unhealed wounds on his private parts, according to reports from the loco staff union on Tuesday.

What is the actual incident?

According to railway staff, incident took place after the loco pilot Rajesh Meena, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe community, underwent surgery for piles on February 22 but his wound had not fully healed by the end of his approved sick leave on February 28. 

Joining after the rest period, Meena approached the Chief Crew Controller (CCC) Ratan Kumar for his medical condition but was denied leave.

In desperation to prove his condition, Meena allegedly removed his pants in front of senior officials to show his unhealed surgical wound. 

A video of the incident recorded by colleagues soon went viral in railway employee WhatsApp groups, prompting widespread outrage over what staff have described as inhuman treatment. 

Did loco pilot approach union?

According to the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), the loco pilot then approached a union leader of his community, who spoke to senior officers in the division, following which, he was granted leave for rest.

However, the AILRSA has demanded strict action against the officer who denied the leave. 

AILRSA secretary-general K.C. James called the episode 'shameful', stating, "It is so shameful that a loco pilot has to take off his pants before his senior to convince him for medical leave, and then he gets a refusal in return."

"We work day and night to take people to their destinations so that they can celebrate festivals with their relatives and family members. Is this the kind of treatment we should expect from the Railway administration?, he added. 

Any official statement? 

Adarsh Kumar Gupta, assistant secretary general, AILRSA, Northern Zone, said, "After a lot of persuasion, Meena was granted leave for surgery from Feb 22 to Feb 28, but when his wound didn’t heal within a week, he followed the laid down procedure and first approached the Railway Health Unit for extension of leave,.".

Gupta said that he spoke to Meena and was shocked to find out about his situation.

“The doctor from the unit checked him thoroughly and, after being convinced that he had a genuine reason to be granted leaves, asked him to bring a ‘sick memo’ from his seniors. Meena approached the crew controller and then the CCC for the said memo,” Gupta added.

“He had no option but to take off his pants and show his wound,” Gupta said.

He also said that the union has demanded strict action against CCC Ratan Kumar. 

After the issue, no response was received from Sunil Kumar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, Lucknow Division under the Northern Railway Zone.

The issue has raised serious questions about the handling of medical leave requests and the treatment of staff within the railway administration.