CBI busts nexus involving IRCTC officer and travel agents

The IRCTC official has been identified as Shahid. “He, along with along with travel agents across India including in Bengaluru, Hubballi (Karnataka), <g data-gr-id="50">Belagavi</g>, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata, will be called for examination soon,” CBI spokesperson said.

All the accused were booked under Section 120-B r/w 420 of the IPC and Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of the PC Act - 1988 and Sections 65 and 66 of the Information Technology Act 2000.

It was learnt that through NTS, the travel agents, who were running the racket in connivance with Shahid, could book six separate tickets (a maximum of 36 passengers in <g data-gr-id="59">one-go</g>), whereas, in normal course, a common man or an agent can book only one ticket with a maximum of six passengers at a time.

As a result, genuine passengers were affected <g data-gr-id="54">adversely,</g> since the tickets were cornered by these travel agents and again sold to passengers at a huge premium. Sources said the racket was running for the past one year and the accused persons were reaping huge profits at the cost of genuine passengers.

On the context of specific charges against the IRCTC officer, CBI sources said, “He, along with travel agents, had conspired among themselves for interfering in the IRCTC booking system through NTS in the computer systems at various offices of travel agents across India.”

Searches were conducted at 11 locations spread over different states including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad which led to the recovery of laptops, hard disks with installed NTS <g data-gr-id="51">softwares</g>, cell phones, “Tatkal” tickets etc. and incriminating documents.

“These <g data-gr-id="56">equipments</g> were allegedly used for creation of multiple IRCTC windows for generating multiple tickets at one time through NTS. The officers of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) have seized electronic gadgets and the software from two agencies in Mumbai and Kolkata which provided this software online to select agencies allegedly with the help of Shahid,” sources said.

Further inquiry revealed that private travel agents used to send money to either of  two software agencies in Mumbai and Kolkata to procure the software online. 

It also came to light that these agencies managed the supply of the software using a remote-controlled system. Once the money was deposited, the software could be accessed through the online system.

The travel agents mainly used to get this facility during the Tatkal bookings, which opens twice a day--at 10 am and 11 am. The agents, by using ATS, could book tickets on multiple screens within a few seconds. Due to this the ordinary citizens used to find it difficult to get their confirmed seats because within seconds Tatkal tickets used to be booked by these agents. It was also found that the agents used to primarily target AC coaches.

“The validity of NTS was restricted and after its expiry the travel agents once again used to send money to the software providers to get it online. The entire operation was running in collusion with a section of railway officials including Shahid,” CBI sources said.