Parcel scam suspected in leased rail coach of Ahmedabad–Howrah Express at Tatanagar station

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, June 13: A major irregularity has surfaced in the leased parcel coach of the Ahmedabad–Howrah Express after railway officials detected a huge mismatch between the booked and actual weight of a consignment unloaded at Tatanagar station.

According to railway sources, the parcel was officially booked for only 170 kg, with documents mentioning 17 packages. However, during unloading at Tatanagar, representatives of the trader reportedly began removing 33 packages, prompting officials to conduct a detailed verification and reweighing of the consignment.

The inspection revealed that the coach was carrying 2,035 kg of goods, nearly 1,865 kg more than the weight declared at the time of booking. The discovery triggered alarm within the railway administration, and a report was immediately forwarded to the Chakradharpur Railway Division for further action.

The case has raised additional suspicion because the consignment had been booked up to Howrah, but was allegedly unloaded midway at Tatanagar. Railway officials are now probing why the goods were being offloaded before reaching their declared destination and whether any procedural violations or collusion were involved.

Sources indicated that the role of employees linked to Ahmedabad, Tatanagar and Howrah parcel operations will also come under scrutiny.

Officials believe that loading such a large quantity of excess cargo without the knowledge or involvement of concerned personnel would be difficult.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) of Chakradharpur Division, Aditya Chaudhary, said a detailed inquiry has been ordered. He stated that strict action would be taken against those found responsible if discrepancies in booking and weight are confirmed.

The incident has once again brought the spotlight on alleged irregularities in railway parcel operations. In recent years, vigilance teams of South Eastern Railway have unearthed several cases involving overloading and booking violations in leased parcel coaches, leading to penalties and departmental action. The latest revelation is expected to intensify scrutiny of the parcel handling system.