Following a shocking incident that has left railway staff expressing widespread outrage, a team member in his area who runs the Lucknow Railway Division called a loco pilot was allegedly compelled to remove his clothing and show his surgical wounds to senior officers after repeated requests for medical leave had been turned down.
The employee, Rajesh Meena, had recently received surgery for piles on Feb. 22, with visible scars. Despite the documentation and evidence of distress that was his, he was denied an extension of leave and asked he had "physical proof" of his distress by his superiors.
A Plea for Rest Denied
Meena is a member of the Scheduled Tribe community, and works in the Northern Railway zone for the procedure, and so was given initial leave period from February 22 - February 28. But because the wounds had not healed and he was still in considerable pain, he adhered to the standard railroad protocol, seeking an extension.
A loco pilot who had recently undergone piles surgery was denied medical leave.
— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) March 4, 2026
SENIORS : "Show us the proof" 😳
Loco Pilot pulled down his trousers in front of his seniors and showed them his stitches. pic.twitter.com/jNc75g2lVE
Meena initially visited the Railway Health Unit to get checked by the doctor who said that Meena was being unwell as well and advised him to obtain a "sick memo" from his department, according to the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA). Meena said the medical documentation, lab reports, and even bandages he was wearing were not convincing to Chief Crew Controller (CCC) Ratan Kumar.
The Viral Confrontation
Frustrated with the repeated denials and humiliated, Meena finally became enraged during a confrontation in the crew lobby. In a last ditch effort to demonstrate his refusal to tolerate being in a locomotive cabin, Meena pulled down his trousers to show the CCC stitches and wounds on his private body.
A video recorded by his fellow workers of the incident then broadcast on internal railway WhatsApp groups. The footage illustrates Meena’s visible distress, as he tries to rationalize his bare right for post-operative recovery. “It is a matter of immense shame that a loco pilot, who is responsible for the safety of thousands of passengers, has to resort to such a humiliating act just to get medical leave,” K.C. James, Secretary General of the AILRSA, said.
Union Demands Action
The AILRSA has denounced Meena's treatment as "inhuman" and has called for strict disciplinary action against the Chief Crew Controller. Union administrators pointed to the irony of the situation, saying loco pilots, who typically work 10–12 hour shifts in “high-pressure” situations, are treated suspiciously when they’re in actual health crises.
After a meeting with union leaders, formal escalations to higher-level divisional officers and follow-ups to the hospital, Meena received the leave required for his recovery. But the encounter has reignited a fierce debate over the stressful working atmosphere and the “insensitive” administrative culture in the Indian Railways. The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM of Lucknow) has made no official statement on the viral video, nor on the behavior of the senior officers involved.
