Online Tatkal booking software under CBI scanner

New Delhi: Some online software, being used allegedly by travel agents to trick the Tatkal booking systems, have come under the scanner of the CBI during its probe against its techie who has developed a similar system, the agency sources said here on Sunday.

During its probe against its programmer, Ajay Garg, who had developed one such illicit software, the agency has noticed software which was readily available online for a price. These were being used to trick the railway ticketing system by speeding up the booking process and allowing multiple tickets, they said.

The sources said 'neo' software developed by Garg is one among many such programmes available online, they said.

"All such software are under scanner. We are examining them and may soon take action if any illegality is found in their operations," an official said. The sources said the software work on "auto fill" system where details of a large number of ticket seekers are entered and kept ready even before Tatkal bookings open on the IRCTC website at 10 am for trains departing next day.

They said such software speed up the PNR generating process, bypassing the IRCTC captcha and allowing login with multiple IDs enabling a large number of ticket bookings simultaneously on a single click of a mouse.

The software allows the users to fraudulently gain unauthorised access to a computer network in contravention of rules and regulations, they said.

"Use of such software is illegal as per rules and regulations of the IRCTC and also under the Railways Act. It was also alleged that the accused was collecting money for the use of such software by certain booking agents and had amassed huge wealth from these activities," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

The CBI had arrested its assistant programmer and his front, Anil Gupta, for developing and distributing the software to agents for a price, he had said.

The ticket bookings under Tatkal quota open at 10 am for AC class and 11 AM for non-AC coaches for the trains departing next day.

Under the quota, a fixed number of seats, in each coach, are sold at a premium by the railways to travellers who need tickets urgently.

A common complaint of passengers is that by the time they enter details on the IRCTC website or complete booking process, seats under Tatkal quota gets full within minutes of the start of the booking.