Station Master’s ‘OK’ To Wife During Heated Phone Call Costs Railways Rs 3 Crore; Here’s How
The Railways frequently suffer financial losses as a result of staff carelessness. But this time, a heated phone conversation between an employee and his wife turned out to be quite expensive, costing the Railways Rs 3 crores.
The station master casually replied “OK” while he was busy with his wife over phone call during working hours, not knowing that is mic was live. A loco pilot took this casual remark as a green signal and proceeded to direct a train straight into a Naxal stronghold. Due to the station master’s poor decision-making, the department acted quickly and suspended him.
The station master’s effort to finish a furious phone call with his wife with the word “OK” resulted in unexpected repercussions. His words were misinterpreted as permission for taking a train to a Naxal-affected region, triggering a cascade of events.
The station master, who was from Visakhapatnam, got married to a Durg native. Their marriage was registered on October 12, 2011, according to court documents. However, marital conflict resulted from the wife’s residual sentiments for an ex-boyfriend. She had shown her emotional attachment for her ex-lover, which caused friction in their marriage.
Despite promises from the wife’s parents, she maintained contact with her old boyfriend, including making phone calls in her husband’s presence. The marriage was already strained when she contacted the station master during his shift one night, resulting in yet another dispute.
“We will talk at home, okay?” he stated, eager to conclude the topic. He was not aware that his microphone was turned on. His colleague misinterpreted the “OK” as a signal to clear the freight train on the restricted route. While no accidents happened, the Railways suffered a loss of Rs 3 crore due to the breach of night-time limits.
The station master’s suspension worsened his marital problems. He filed for divorce at a Visakhapatnam family court after reaching a breaking point.
His wife responded by filing a complaint under Section 498A of the IPC (cruelty and harassment), naming him, his 70-year-old father, elder brother, sister-in-law, and maternal uncle.
