New Delhi – The Railway Board has issued a directive to one of its zonal divisions, instructing them to terminate an employee who was reappointed after deliberately hiding information about a prior dismissal from another railway zone. This action follows a discovery that the employee had been employed elsewhere and was dismissed from that position, with a criminal charge related to his past service also being pending.
The employee did not disclose these crucial details in his attestation form. Furthermore, during the reappointment proceedings, he was convicted in the aforementioned criminal case but concealed this information as well. Disciplinary actions were initiated upon uncovering these facts, leading to his dismissal, which was initially upheld by the Appellate Authority.
However, a subsequent review by the zonal revisionary authority reversed the decision, reinstating the employee. This prompted the zonal railway to refer the case to the Railway Board for review. The Board found the revisionary authority’s decision incorrect, stating that the employee had secured his appointment by suppressing vital information.
The Board emphasized that such an appointment was “void ab initio” (invalid from the outset), as dismissal from service typically disqualifies individuals from future government or railway employment. The employee’s fraudulent acquisition of the “railway servant” status meant he could not benefit from service rules meant for legitimate employees. The Board stressed that providing false information or suppressing facts in an attestation form is grounds for disqualification, rendering a candidate unfit for government employment, irrespective of when the suppression is discovered.
The Board clarified that the correct procedure in such cases is to terminate or cancel the appointment directly, rather than invoking service rules that might erroneously grant the individual employee status. This case information has been circulated to all railway zones to serve as guidance and ensure awareness.