In a recent incident that has sparked controversy, Justice Gautam Chowdhary of the Allahabad High Court has demanded an explanation from railway officials for the alleged negligence during his train journey. The judge’s office has sent a letter to the General Manager of the North Central Railway, Prayagraj, detailing the inconveniences faced by the judge and his spouse during their travel on the Purushotam Express from New Delhi to Prayagraj.
The letter, dated July 14, outlines the judge’s grievances, including a delay of over three hours and the absence of Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel in the coach, despite prior intimation to the authorities. The judge’s office stated,
“Hon’ble Dr. Justice Gautam Chowdhary, Judge, Allahabad High Court faced inconvenience during the train journey of His Lordship from New Delhi to Prayagraj.”
Adding to the list of grievances, the letter also pointed out the lack of service from pantry car workers. Despite repeated calls for refreshments, no one attended to the judge. Even a call to the pantry car manager, Mr. Raj Tripathi, went unanswered. The letter stated,
“Further, no Pantry Car workers attended His Lordship for providing refreshments despite repeated calls. Moreover, when the call was made to the Pantry Car, Manager Mr. Raj Tripathi, the call was not picked up.”
The alleged negligence and lack of service led to “grave inconvenience and displeasure to His Lordship,” as per the letter. Justice Chowdhary, through the High Court Registry, has now demanded an explanation from the railway officials, the GRP personnel, and the pantry car manager for the inconvenience caused due to their alleged dereliction of duty.
This incident has brought the spotlight back on the quality of services provided by the Indian Railways and raises questions about the treatment of passengers. The response from the railway officials is eagerly awaited as this incident has stirred a debate about the accountability of public service providers.