TVI Express Scam

Four more Central Railway employees shifted in TVI Express scam

By Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Dec 29, 2012, 12.25 AM IST

NAGPUR: In a face-saving exercise, threemovement inspectors (MIs) and a lobby in-charge were shifted on Thursday evening for their involvement in the TVI (Travel Ventures International) Express scam which involved collecting Rs 15,500 by promising air travel around the world and handsome commission.

With this the number of MIs who have been transferred has gone up to 5. There were complaints against the lobby in-charge. On November 1, two MIs - P D Raut and Komal Gajbhiye - both kingpins, were shifted to Chiconda and Hinganghat stations respectively.

On Thursday, DK Soni, SS Karnale and SK Jaiswal, all MIs, and CP Varshney, the lobby in-charge were shifted. Central Railway PRO P D Patil did not go into the details and termed the transfers as routine. Interestingly, it took over 15-20 years to shift these tainted employees who were occupying sensitive posts.

The transfers seem to be cosmetic as all those shifted have been posted in Nagpur only. "It will defeat the basic purpose of employees getting justice. These people being in Nagpur will continue to scare their victims," employees said.

Soni, who is said to be close to the bosses and made maximum TVI members, was shifted as deputy station superintendent (DySS) at Nagpur. Varshney has also been posted as DySS. Jaiswal and Karnale were posted as cabin ASMs at Ajni. Karnale is mostly involved in diverting pointsmen for household work in Sr DOM's quarter.

Orders to replace two MIs - Raut and Gajbhiye - were also issued. Sanjay Gupta will replace Raut and P M Gandhi will replace Gajbhiye. Similarly, Abhijeet Samat will succeed Jaiswal.

On October 27, TOI had exposed how operating department officials controlled the TVI membership scam in the entire city. At least 500 railway employees were made members by doling out fake promises of air travel and doubling of invested sum. Railway officials misused their official position to make members even after the networking firm had closed down its operations.

Meanwhile, the transfers have caused resentment among the operating department employees who had registered in advance for getting posted in Nagpur.