RailEnquiry

Asansol : The government railway police in Asansol today arrested an Eastern Coalfields Ltd employee and his son, a polytechnic student, on charges of obtaining concessions by furnishing a forged version of the certificate meant for physically challenged persons. The police said Shivkant Singh, 55, and his son Pranab were travelling in a general coach of the Yeshwantpur-Bhagalpur Express meant for physically challenged persons. The duo were arrested when they got off at Asansol station at 2.45am today. The police said they were picked up by the anti-fraud squad on the basis of a tip-off. Singh, a miner, was returning to his Asansol home after visiting his daughter in Bangalore. The police said Singh had told them during interrogation that he purchased the fake certificates for Rs 1,500 from a dealer in such documents. According to railway officials, physically challenged persons who possess proper documents can travel in trains by paying 25 per cent of the fare and can be accompanied by an attendant who is entitled to the same concession. The police said Singh, who used to feign a limp, had been using fake documents to get railway concessions for the past 10 years. "He used to take either his son or some other relative as his 'attendant' during train journeys," said Moloy Majumdar, an inspector of the anti-fraud squad.