The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bus stolen to malign manager: DTC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 16, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Bus stolen to malign manager: DTC

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 15. The mystery behind the disappearance of a Delhi Transport Corporation bus from the Rohini depot and its subsequent discovery at Ballabgarh in Haryana continues to deepen with the security workers' union coming to the rescue of the four suspended guards by saying that the bus had been taken out of the depot to cart wheat at the farmhouse of a senior official and the official spokesperson insisting that the allegations were only being levelled by the security personnel to save their skin.

Denying the allegation levelled by the secretary of the union, Ranvir Singh, that the bus had been taken to the farmhouse of a depot manager to help in transportation of wheat there and had broken down on the way, the spokesperson said it was difficult to comprehend any such occurrence and expressed the apprehension that the bus was actually taken out of the depot on May 5 to malign the manager, who was a "nice man''.

The DTC is insisting that the bus was taken out of the depot in connivance with certain officials for settling personal scores and has therefore placed four security guards under suspension.

However, the security workers allege that the bus was taken out of the depot at 2-08 p.m. and returned in the evening. It had a refill of CNG at 8-20 a.m. but it was only at 11-30 p.m. that the conductor deposited the receipts of the day with the cashier. Also, as per the memo of the driver the bus returned at 9-58 p.m. The union activists allege that the bus was taken out of the depot after refuelling.

Claiming that it was not the job of the security personnel to see where the bus was going, they said the job was limited to checking that it did not contain any prohibited or dangerous substance and so they were only being made the scapegoat in a big cover-up operation.

The DTC spokesperson said this was not true and a probe is on to identify the culprits.

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