A station master’s accidental “OK” during a call with his wife resulted in a freight train being sent onto a restricted route in a Maoist-affected area in Chhattisgarh, causing Indian Railways a Rs 3 crore loss. According to a media report, the station master, on duty that night, was arguing with his wife over the phone, and ended the call with, “We’ll talk at home, OK?” Without realising his microphone was on, his colleague mistook the “OK” as the go-ahead to dispatch the goods train into the restricted area.
Though no accident occurred, Indian Railways had to pay a Rs 3 crore fine due to the breach of night-time protocol, the Times of India reported.
Following this incident, the station master, who hails from Visakhapatnam, filed for divorce. His wife also lodged complaints against him and his family, even petitioning the Supreme Court to transfer the case to Durg, claiming her life was at risk.
When the family court in Durg rejected his divorce petition, he appealed to the Chhattisgarh High Court. The division bench found her allegations against him and his family “false” and granted the divorce, noting that her “baseless accusations” and the argument that triggered the “OK” incident amounted to “cruelty” towards him.
