Total 5,547 tickets including e-tickets as well as journey- cum -reservation tickets amounting to an approximate of Rs 87.55 lakh were seized by the Railway Protection Force of Western Railway against the touts for the period from July to September, 2020. Total 315 persons were arrested in 298 cases during these special drives.
According to a press release issued by WR CPRO Sumit Thakur, during last year in the similar period from July to September, total 2,099 tickets including E-tickets amounting to an approximate of Rs 50.16 lakh were seized and 171 persons were arrested in 146 cases. Therefore, in comparison to last year, the number of cases are more than double alongwith notable increase in number of arrested persons, number of seized tickets & value of e-tickets.
It was observed during Special drives that touts were indulging in booking of e-tickets through use of Real Mango software.
These special drives were conducted for the period from July to September, 2020.
After getting the information of illegal booking of tickets by touts, special teams of dedicated staff from Detective Wing/ RPF Crime Branch, Cyber Cell and divisions were formed and the special drives against such illegal activities were started. It was found that illegal booking of tickets were made using several fake IDs, including some authorised IRCTC agents who use fake IDs, and also using illegal software like Real Mango, charging extra money from innocent passengers.
Western Railway has requested the customers to buy their journey tickets only from authorized sources. Passengers as well as citizens have been alerted time to time against the various modus operandi of touts through PA system, pasting of stickers /posters, distributing of pamphlets in trains and premises. Awareness campaigns have also been organized to educate the passengers regarding the legal provisions of Section 143 of Railways Act & the consequences of buying tickets/ e-tickets from touts.
