Bizarre incident: Railways engineer sells train engine using fake documents in Bihar

The illegal sale of the railway locomotive engine reportedly took place on December 14 and the scam surfaced two days later.

Representational Image (Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: In a bizarre incident, an engineer from Bihar sold off a railway locomotive engine along with fabricated DMI paperwork. The engineer, named Rajiv Ranjan Jha, who is an employee from the Samastipur Loco Diesel Shed managed to sell an old steam engine lying at the Purnea Court Station. 

According to media reports, the engineer, aided by security personnel and other station officials, managed to pull off a carefully planned heist, and hence, sold off the railway asset along with fabricated DMI paperwork. 

The reports revealed that the illegal sale allegedly took place on December 14 and the scam surfaced two days later, following which an FIR was lodged at the Banmankhi RPF post based on the application of Purnea Court Station Outpost Incharge MM Rehman on Sunday. 

The scam was found after the engineer was spotted by the outpost in charge, while he was deconstructing the engine using a gas cutter. At that time, another man being identified as Sushil was also present there to help the engineer with the process. 

When the in-charge asked to stop the work, the engineer used a fake letter to persuade the official that the scrap from the engine had to be sent back to the diesel shed. 

This prompted the official to check the register and find out if there was any pickup van entry the next day, but she could not find any scrap from the engine in the shed. After this, she informed authorities about it, they found out that there had been no order by the DMI to cut the engine apart.

Authorities are now on the lookout for the accused as well as the pickup van on whose name an entry was made in the register. In the meantime, the DRM has ordered a suspension of the engineer who helped with the scam, the helper and one security personnel posted at the diesel shed.