Suicide note of late Railway traveling inspector of Sunil Kumar Baluni has raised several questions which beg answers from the Railway department.
Ram Awadh, a Railway employee, (Parcel, portal) Dehradun Railway Station, said, “I was suspended for six months by the same vigilance officer who had sent notice to Sunil Kumar Baluni as regards an alleged bribery case, because I had kept cash of Rs850 in my pocket. I had kept the same in my pocket to purchase medicines for my ailing wife.”
The question is do these incidents reveal a nexus between the agents and the Railway officers in entrapping unsuspecting railway employeesIJ Dehradun Railway Station Superintendent SD Dobhal said that he was shocked to learn that Baluni had committed suicide by jumping before a running train.
According to Dobhal, Baluni who used to occasionally visit his office was an honest person. Besides, his nature was like that of a dedicated social worker.Baluni had personally recounted to him the matter of his being served a notice as regards to an alleged bribery case by department vigilance officer. Dobhal had advised him not to worry if he were honest.
Dobhal said that he is unaware of goods being lifted without paying taxes to the Government. He said he is wondering how such things can happen with a sale tax office being located in the Railway Station premises.
According to him, he is not being informed by the vigilance officials about persons being tagged to bribery cases.Dobhal said, “When vigilance officials requested me to become a witness of an alleged bribery case to complete the documentation, I asked them why I was being kept in the dark.”
Hundreds of local residents, including the family members of Baluni, demanded a CBI probe into the death. The family members had said the Railway department should lodge an FIR against persons mentioned in the suicide note left by the deceased.Several questions are still unanswered over this incident. Why are not the vigilance officials informing the Railway Station Superintendent Dobhal before slapping bribery cases on personsIJ
Why the vigilance officers are not using scientific method of catching people taking bribesIJ In a previous incident, a Railway employee was tagged to a bribery case because he had kept cash of Rs850 in his pocket. How one can justify bribe if cash of a few thousands are found stacked in an Almirah or on a tableIJ
It should be mentioned here that Sunil Kumar Baluni had committed suicide by jumping before the moving link Express at around 1.45 pm on Tuesday. In his suicide note, Baluni had stated that he was innocent as far as the charge of bribery is concerned.He had also addressed his family members in the note, flaunting his innocence. The finger print report would reveal his innocence, he averred. He had alleged that a vigilance inspector, a contractor and an agent had framed him in the bribery case.
Notably, on November 20, this year, Railway vigilance team from Delhi had caught him while lifting goods without paying taxes to the Government. He was depressed after the incident.Baluni had visited Dehradun from Delhi where he had recorded his statement over the bribery case on Tuesday and he committed suicide at around 1.45 pm the same day. He had sustained severe head injury from the Railway engine and died on the spot.