Loco Pilot in Lucknow Rail Division Undresses in Desperation to Prove Unhealed Piles Surgery Wound After Sick Leave Extension Denied; Union Demands Action Against Senior Officer

Lucknow/New Delhi, March 5, 2026 — In a deeply disturbing incident that has sparked widespread outrage among railway employees and raised serious questions about workplace dignity and the handling of medical leave in the Indian Railways, a loco pilot from the Lucknow division was allegedly forced to remove his trousers before a senior officer to display unhealed surgical wounds from a recent piles operation. Despite submitting multiple medical documents, the officer reportedly refused to approve a routine sick memo for leave extension, prompting the employee to take this extreme step out of frustration and helplessness.

The loco pilot has been identified as Rajesh Meena, who belongs to the Scheduled Tribe community and works as a goods loco pilot in the Lucknow Rail Division under the Northern Railway Zone. According to accounts from the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), Meena had been suffering from severe piles (hemorrhoids) for a prolonged period. After unsuccessful treatment in Indore, he underwent surgery in Lucknow on February 22, 2026.

He was initially granted sick leave from February 22 to February 28 following the procedure. However, when the surgical wound failed to heal within the one-week period, Meena followed the standard railway protocol. He first visited the Railway Health Unit, where a doctor thoroughly examined him, confirmed the genuine need for extended rest, and advised him to obtain a "sick memo" — a formal approval from his controlling officers — to extend the medical leave.

Meena then approached the crew controller and subsequently the Chief Crew Controller (CCC), Ratan Kumar, presenting a full set of medical evidence. This included laboratory reports, prescriptions, test results (such as CBC, glucose, and hepatitis screening), and even the used bandages and dressings from his home treatment. Union leaders claim that despite this comprehensive proof, the CCC remained unconvinced and allegedly refused to grant the extension, casting doubt on the severity of Meena's condition.

In a moment of extreme distress, captured on video by his colleagues in the Lucknow Junction lobby area, Meena reportedly undressed in front of the officer and others present to physically show the unhealed stitches and wounds on his private parts. "He had no option but to take off his pants and show his wound," said Adarsh Kumar Gupta, assistant secretary general of AILRSA's Northern Zone, who spoke directly to Meena after the incident.

A separate video recorded by Meena himself narrates the entire sequence of events, highlighting his physical pain, mental stress, and the humiliation he endured. These videos quickly circulated on WhatsApp groups among railway staff and have since gone viral on social media platforms, triggering anger and debates about employee rights, privacy, and bureaucratic insensitivity in high-responsibility professions.

"It is so shameful that a loco pilot has to take off his pants before his senior to convince him for medical leave, and then he gets a refusal in return," said KC James, secretary general of AILRSA. "We work day and night to take people to their destinations so that they can celebrate festivals with their relatives and family members. Is this the kind of treatment we should expect from the Railway administration?"

The union has strongly condemned the incident as "humiliating and unacceptable," demanding a departmental inquiry and strict disciplinary action against CCC Ratan Kumar. They argue that loco pilots, who operate trains under demanding schedules and bear immense safety responsibilities, deserve prompt and respectful handling of genuine medical issues.

Following intervention by a union leader from Meena's community, who escalated the matter to senior division officials, the sick leave extension was finally approved. However, no immediate official response has been received from the railway administration. Attempts to contact Divisional Railway Manager Sunil Kumar Verma of the Lucknow Division yielded no comment at the time of reporting.

This episode has ignited broader conversations on social media and among labour experts about the balance between procedural verification of sick leaves and the protection of employee dignity, particularly in sensitive medical cases. Under Indian Railways rules, medical leave extensions require documentation and approval, but critics point out that rigid implementation can sometimes overlook human elements, especially for conditions like post-surgical recovery that involve significant pain and privacy concerns.

Railway employees have expressed fears that such incidents could deter staff from seeking timely medical help, potentially compromising operational safety in a sector where loco pilots are critical to preventing accidents. Labour rights advocates have noted that medical leave on genuine grounds is a legal entitlement, and authorities are expected to handle such requests with sensitivity rather than suspicion.

As videos continue to spread, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for more empathetic and streamlined processes in handling health-related concerns in professional environments, particularly in government services like the railways. The AILRSA has vowed to pursue the matter further until accountability is ensured, while calls grow for systemic reforms to prevent similar humiliations in the future.