Title - Railway staff, touts held for Tatkal ticket fraud

New Delhi : The special squad of the railway protection force today claimed to have arrested seven touts who in connivance with the railway staff got the tickets booked for "tatkal" journey. The touts were arrested from Delhi and Ambala.A senior official of the railways said that Railway Travel Service Agents (RTSA), railway authorised agents for issuing tickets, have their role in this racket. The railway authorities received a tip-off that an authorised RTSA is involved in preparing ''tatkal'' tickets without identity proof in connivance with the railway staff. The agent was arrested in a raid conducted by the railway vigilance.He disclosed the name of a railway employee in Gwalior, who was also arrested. The railway has not disclosed the names of arrested suspects so far.A spokesperson of the Northern Railway said that the vigilance staff posing as passengers approached the agent for seeking tatkal reservation. The agent agreed to book the tickets for July 5 in train No.12952 Mumbai Rajdhani Express in 3AC, without ID proof and demanded Rs 2,300 per passenger (the actual fare Rs 1,800). The money was paid to him. However, the next day the agent refused to provide the tickets on the plea of strict checking by the railway protection force.On further inquiry, it was found that the tickets in the names as given by vigilance team have been booked on the ID of an unknown person. The passenger on whose ID the reservation was made did not turn up. During raid at the office of RTSA, the agent, who had taken money, confessed that he had agreed to book tickets without ID proof.

He said that the ''tatkal'' ticket was booked in connivance with the railway staff of Gwalior.