Mumbai: TC suspended over controversial remarks audio goes viral

A Ticket Collector TC with Western Railway in Mumbai has been suspended after an audio recording in which he made derogatory comments about communities went viral on social media the officials said on SundayIn an official statement posted on X the Divisional Railway Manager DRM of Mumbai Central Western Railway stated that the incident is being taken very seriously The statement confirmed that the staff member has been suspended pending an investigationWe take this matter very seriously The staff commenting adversely about the religious community and Maharashtrians has been suspended immediately pending an inquiry A thorough investigation will be conducted to ensure accountability Appropriate actions will be determinedhellipmdash DRM Mumbai Central WR drmbct September 22 2024The DRM Mumbai Central of Western Railway further said that the importance of accountability and stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted Appropriate actions will be taken based on the findings to maintain the standards and integrity of railway services the official statement saidTC injured after being assaulted by passenger with hockey stick in Nalasopara one bookedMeanwhile in an another incidenta 29yearold TC of Western Railway was allegedly assaulted by a passenger with a hockey stick after he issued a fine the officials said on FridayThe TC identified as Vijay Kumar Pandit reported that this incident is the second of its kind involving railway staff being attacked by passengersIn his statement to the Government Railway Police GRP Pandit mentioned that he has been working as a ticket checker at Nalasopara railway station for the past 10 months He recounted that on September 19 at around 713 am he was checking tickets of passengers disembarking from the local firstclass coach near the station masters office on platform number 1Pandit stated A passenger got off from the firstclass coach and when I requested him to show his train ticket he presented a secondclass ticket from Goregaon to NalasoparaI informed him that since he had alighted from the firstclass coach his ticket was invalid Therefore he would need to pay a fine of 345 rupees for traveling in first class without a valid ticket He replied that he only had 210 rupees and asked if the fine could be reduced Taking pity on him I decided to charge him only 150 rupees and advised him not to travel in first class again he saidAfter this interaction the passenger left and Pandit resumed checking tickets of other firstclass passengers arriving on another train As he was heading to the ticket checkerrsquos office the same passenger suddenly approached him from behind and began attacking him with a hockey stick Pandit reported that he started bleeding from behind his ear and the assailant fled the scene His colleagues later took him to Riddhi Vinayak Hospital in Nalasopara West for initial treatment after which he was referred to Jagjivan Ram Hospital in Mumbai Central East for further careBased on Pandits statement the Vasai railway police have filed a case against the unidentified passenger under sections 1212 and 132 of the Indian Penal Code and a search for the assailant has begun an official said