Agent arrested for rly ticket fraud

Nagpur: Vigilance department of Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested a private travel agent for allegedly black marketing railway tickets. RPF and crime branch have seized railway tickets worth Rs45,253, computer and printer from the alleged accused, identified as Sunil Prajapati, 29, a resident of Satnami Nagar. After being tipped off by informers, and confirming the black marketing through a punter, chief vigilance inspector Atul Kshirsagar and Crime Branch PI of RPF Sunil Chate and team raided Prajapati’s tours and travels office at a building complex at Ambedkar Square, Central Avenue, on Wednesday afternoon.Police also found a diary containing names of customers and their addresses. These people had been assured that they would get confirmed tickets.
Railway officials said that this is the second raid at Prajapati’s office. Prajapati has been carrying on his illegal activities since 2007 and the CBI had conducted the raid at his office in 2011 and seized 1000 tickets. A case is already underway at the district court against Prajapati, who is an authorized agent of IRCTC.
While IRCTC agents can book unlimited tickets, they cannot book during the timings of tatkal ticket booking and reservation office timings. Prajapati had used his personal ID to book tickets for customers. Also, an agent can book only 10 tickets using his personal ID. However, Prajapati would book more than 10 tickets.
RPF’s vigilance department received information about the black marketing of tickets and a punter was sent to confirm the illegal business. The punter asked for a railway ticket to Mumbai in Duronto Express on February 11. The raid was conducted when Prajapati called the punter to take the tickets from him after paying extra charges. Prajapati would charge double the usual fee for such tickets.
It is learnt that Prajapati used five identity cards to book 17 confirmed E-tickets and 14 other tickets from various railway stations. Further investigations would find out whether Prajapati had more partners in the business or was carrying on the illegal activities alone.