Title - It took 10 years for a loco pilot to prove his innocence

On August 26, 2008, Manoj Dandekar, then working as an assistant loco pilot in a goods train was held accountable  for carelessness and negligence in his work when the freight train in which he was piloting overshoot a red signal by 50 meters near Nabipur railway station.

Immediately after the incidence, an inquiry was initiated and Dandekar was held responsible. He was punished by reduction in his pay scale for next five years.

After the grant of punishment, Dandekar appealed before the revision authority in the railways. The revision authority reduced his penalty from 5 years to 1 year but insisted that he was at fault.

Dandekar approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which too confirmed Dandekar’s fault and refused to alter the punishment. Dandekar then approached High Court, who finally considering the inquiry report ruled that in the report it is categorically mentioned that there was prompt action by Dandekar. 

Dandekar loudly called out the signal aspect to the loco pilot, and when he found the loco pilot non-reactive, he immediately got into action and stopped the goods train. But by the time train surpassed the red signal.