13 April,2021 06:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
RPF and cyber cell members from Mumbai, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Ratlam, Bhavnagar and Rajkot were involved in the drive
In a special drive against touts, the crime branch and cyber cell of the RPF, Western Railway, have registered 183 cases and arrested 192 people in the past three months for booking tickets with fake identities and over charging passengers. Officials have also seized e-tickets as well as journey-cum-reservation tickets worth over Rs 55 lakh from them.
As per the guidelines and directions issued by the Railway Board, under the supervision of IG PC Sinha, RPF Western Railway, the drive was launched by forming special teams of dedicated staff from the Detective Wing/RPF crime branch and the cyber cell in the six divisions: Mumbai, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Ratlam, Bhavnagar and Rajkot.
"It was observed that touts are booking tickets by using several fake IDs. Some authorised IRCTC agents also use fake IDs, and illegal software like Redbull, Tatkaladda and Pro Extension, charging extra money from innocent passengers," said an official.
The Redbull and Tatkaladda softwares which they used to book tickets, have been recovered from the possession of the arrested accused. The IRCTC software cannot book tickets in bulk but the accused managed to book more than 100 tickets at a time with the recovered software by using fake IDs and then charged arbitrary prices from passengers, said an official. "We have seized 3,939 e-tickets as well as journey-cum-reservation tickets valued at '55,47,499 after registering 183 cases and arrested 192 accused from January to March 2021," said Sinha.
Awareness campaigns have been organised to educate the passengers regarding the legal provisions of section 143 of Railways Act and the consequences of buying tickets/ e-tickets from touts. "Passengers have been alerted against the various modus operandi of touts through PA system, pasting of sticker/poster, distributing of pamphlets in trains and railway premises," said Sinha.
