The food and hygiene have always been a matter of concern for the Indian Railways and they have received flak over it many times. Recently in a bizarre case, a man was caught after he confessed dropping lizards in his food intentionally on Tuesday.
The man identified as Surender Pal, 70-year-old was held by Railway Protection Force at the Guntkal station for contaminating his own meal.
A senior divisional commercial manager found a similarity between Pal’s case and other cases reported in different divisions and the recent one in Jabalpur.
When the officials reached out to Jabalpur, they sent the photograph of a man who claimed to have found a lizard in his samosa. It was then revealed that the man was Pal. His photo appeared again with the Pune division saying that he had claimed at the Miraj station that he found a blade in his idli.
Guntakal Division
In joint operation one conman was caught who was fleecing the Railway Caterers by claiming lizard in food. He confessed his crime. He did similar trick in Jabalpur Division. Please beware of such elements, who bring Railways in bad light.@SCRailwayIndia pic.twitter.com/pZCX8LfzUd— DRM Guntakal (@drmgtl) July 23, 2019
The man allegedly threatened the stall owners with complaints and blackmailed them for money in the other two cases.
The railway officials laid a trap and caught hold of him. As per a news agency report, Pal was confronted by senior officials at Guntkal station wherein he confessed and claimed he was using a “fish which cured mental illness” for his tricks.
In the video, officials can be seen talking to the man, explaining to him that railways was the nation’s pride and belonged to the people. He was chastised for giving railways a bad name. But he was assured that no action would be taken against him if he promised to change his ways.
“I have done the wrong thing. I am an old man, I am mentally unstable, I have blood cancer. Please let me go. In Punjab, there is an ayurvedic medicine. I used a fish which cures bone diseases and mental illness,” he said in the video when officials asked him what did he put in his food.
As per the officials, it is not clear whether Pal is mentally unstable or if he had blood cancer. The man has also claimed that his father had been a senior official in the railways.
Mumbai: Motorman stops local train to attend nature’s call on tracks
