DTC sacks 467 bus marshals over fake papers, criminal records

 New Delhi: The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has dismissed 467 bus marshals from service after an internal investigation uncovered serious irregularities, including fake documents and criminal backgrounds. According to DTC officials, around 90 marshals were found to have criminal records, while 374 others had submitted false information or carried fake identity cards. Following the probe, all of them have been removed and sent back to their parent department, the Directorate of Home Guards.

Officials said the action was necessary to ensure passenger safety, especially for women. “Marshals are deployed for security on buses, and if someone has a criminal background, it is inappropriate to keep them on duty,” a senior DTC officer said.

Currently, about 3,200 Home Guards are deployed as bus marshals across 3,500 buses in Delhi, each receiving Rs 970 per day. The system was introduced during the tenure of the previous Aam Aadmi Party government.

Concerns about the arrangement grew after a recent incident involving a marshal named Man Singh, who was arrested for allegedly biting a conductor’s finger during a dispute over the bus route on the Noida Sector 62–Dhaula Kuan line. The clash reportedly began when the marshal and the driver insisted on taking a flyover while the conductor argued for the parallel road. The Transport Department has now decided to conduct a broader review of the system. While bus marshals continue to operate in 39 of Delhi’s 41 DTC depots, officials said the recruitment process will be made more transparent in the future to avoid security lapses.