Title - Well-oiled nexus between touts, railway officials

On June 23, Mail Today unravelled the huge conspiracy at work in the Tatkal ticketing system of the Indian Railways - the well-oiled nexus between touts and railway officials that thrives on the helplessness of passengers.

Touts target people who fail to secure tickets at station counters and promise them confirmed reservations.

They manage the feat in collusion with railway officials, who misuse the various quotas to rustle up tickets, which are then sold at inflated prices.

One such tout at the New Delhi Railway Station booked an AC II ticket for our team for the Delhi-Patna Rajdhani Express at 3.55 pm on June 21.

The Tatkal ticket, for next day's journey, was listed 62 on the waiting list but the tout assured it would get confirmed. Despite the improbability of a ticket getting confirmed at such a short notice, lo and behold, it was!

The tout took Rs.3500 for a Rs.2152-ticket, with the curt justification that the amount would grease many a palm.