Weeks after NDLS stampede, 5 officials including Delhi DRM shunted out

Five senior officials, including the Delhi Divisional Railway Manager, Additional DRM and Assistant Security Commissioner of the Railway Protection Force, were transferred on Tuesday, a fortnight after a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station killed 18 passengers headed to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

"Though they have been transferred through administrative orders without mentioning any immediate reasons, the timings of transfer apparently establishes a link with the stampede," a railway official said. "Somewhere the ministry sees complacence and dereliction of duties on their part."  DRM Sukhwinder Singh, ADRM Vikram Singh Rana, Station Director Mahesh Yadav, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (passenger services) Anand Mohan and RPF ASC at New Delhi Railway Station Mahesh Chand Saini are the officers who have been transferred, according to separate official orders, all issued on Tuesday.

Their new postings have not been announced.

While Sukhwinder Singh, Vikram Singh Rana and Mahesh Chand Saini were transferred through three separate orders issued by the Railway Board, Yadav and Narayan's joint transfer order was issued by the Northern Railway.

Sukhwinder Singh was appointed Delhi Division DRM in July 2023 and his two-year term was to end later this year.

His transfer order said Pushpesh R Tripathi from the North Central Railway Zone will replace Singh. Vikram Singh Rana has been replaced by senior official Samir Kumar.

"The Ministry of Railways has with the approval of the President decided that Shri Pushpesh R Tripathi, NFHAG (non-functional higher administrative grade)/IRSEE (Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers)/North Central Railway should be transferred and posted as DRM/Delhi/Northern Railway vice Shri Sukhwinder Singh, IRSEE, orders for whom will follow," the order said.

In an another issued by Railway Board', ASC RPF Saini was replaced with Chetan Diliprao Jichkar who is currently ASC in Kota Division of West Central Railway.

"DG RPF has ordered that Shri Chetan Diliprao Jichkar, ASC/ Kota-I/WCR be transferred and posted as ASC/ NDLS/NR vice Shri Mahesh Chand Saini, orders for whom will follow," the Board said.

It added, "Shri Chetan Diliprao Jichkar is directed to report to his new place of posting immediately."  The joint order from the Northern Railway said Laxmi Kant Bansal will join in place of Yadav as the station director and Anand Mohan will be replaced by Nishant Narayan as Sr DCM (passenger services).

Sources said the transfers of some of these officials such as the DRM and ADRM have been advanced due to the tragedy at the New Delhi Station that killed 18 people and injured dozens in the evening of February 15.

The stampede broke out as a huge rush of passengers gathered at the railway station to catch their trains to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela. Officials said then that 18 people were killed in the crush and many injured.