RailEnquiry

A 25-year-old travel agency employee was arrested from the Jama Masjid area on Wednesday, for allegedly forging the signature of BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain to get his client a railway ticket. On June 5, Hussain’s secretary Rajesh Verma filed a police complaint regarding the forged signature.In his complaint, Verma said, “Someone has forged the letterhead and signature of Hussain to give a ticket request to the Ambala Divisional Rail Manager (DRM). He told us that the letterhead and signature were used to confirm a waitlisted e-ticket.”Immediately, a team was sent to Nizamuddin railway station where police found out that the ticket was used to book two seats on the Golden Temple Mail (Delhi to Mumbai). Police then waited for the passengers assigned seat numbers 35 and 36 in coach S3. They then questioned the two passengers.“The two passengers were identified as Mohd Umar, a resident of Azamgarh and his cousin Abu Hamza, a resident of Haj Manzil, Turkman Gate. Hamza disclosed that for the tickets, he had approached Gurfan and Rafiullah at their travel agency in Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid. The duo said the agency had got their waitlisted tickets confirmed,” said a senior police officer investigating the case.Soon after, police arrested Gurfan from Jama Masjid. On questioning, he revealed that Umar needed a ticket to go to his aunt’s place in Mumbai. He approached Gurfan and his employer, who sold them the tickets for Rs 500 each — Rs 150 more than the sleeper class fare.Police said Umar had no idea about the fraud. The other accused, Rafiullah, is absconding, police said.Sources said Rafiullah may have procured the letterheads on a visit to the MP’s house. So far, investigations have revealed that two of Hussain’s letterheads were misused. Police are investigating where the first one was used. A case of forgery for the purpose of cheating has been registered at the Parliament Street police station.