New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) The All India Train Controllers' Association has demanded an apology from an assistant operations manager of the Firozpur Railway Division for allegedly manhandling a controller.

In a letter to the Northern Railway Zone on Sunday, the association expressed deep anguish and said that for the smooth functioning of the control organisation, which is the nerve centre of train operations, the official should tender an apology to the controller, should be kept away from the control officer business and should not interact with any controller.

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When contacted, Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Deepak Kumar said, "I am not aware of the issue but will look into it and see what could be done in the case."

According to the association, an unpleasant incident took place on October 6, when due to a signal and telecommunication failure at Amritsar station, the Shatabdi Express was detained.

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Looking at prolonging failure, the on-duty train controller instructed the station master on duty to dispatch other trains whichever possible, the association said.

It added that the assistant operations manager (AOM) asked the controller to meet him after duty hours. When the controller went to meet the manager he was not in his office.

The controller waited for 10 minutes, enquired about the manager from other officials and when he came to know that the AOM had gone to Jalandhar, he went back home as he had another night duty to do.

The association alleged that the AOM, after reaching office, called the controller on his mobile and spoke to him in a rude manner as to why he had not waited for him.

It further claimed that the AOM asked the controller to come to the office and the moment the controller entered the chamber, the AOM attacked the controller, hit him on his chest and tried to grab his collar while the controller kept asking why he was being misbehaved with.

According to the association, the AOM almost dragged him to the senior divisional operations manager's chamber but even the latter did not hear him properly and declared him guilty for not contacting the AOM on phone.

"As head of branch, he (senior divisional operations manager) was supposed to order an administrative enquiry and if warranted, both could have been suspended till deemed fit to him," the association said in its letter to the principal chief operations manager in the Northern Railway.

The association added that when the chief controller in charge went to the senior divisional operations manager along with the victim and a few more controllers to protest and demand apology, the AOM openly threatened the chief controller in-charge of dire consequences in the presence of senior manager.

Requesting the principal chief operations manager to intervene in the matter, the association said that "for any lapses on account of the subject controller, there are administrative procedures to investigate and penalise. We all are bound to follow rules set by the organisation. Manhandling of an employee is a crime and an act for which a suitable penalty should be imposed."

"If the controller had reacted in the same manner, the situation would have been entirely different and tarnished the image of Railways," it added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)