CBI probing railway staff role in Tatkal scam

The anti-corruption unit officials of CBI are investigating whether railway reservation booking staff were involved in the Tatkal ticket racket.

Twelve touts were arrested during a search on Saturday at six unauthorised travel agencies across the city, and 405 Tatkal journey tickets valued over Rs8 lakh were seized from them.

A CBI officer said, “During preliminary inquiry, we learnt that all the arrested touts had procured the tickets in connivance with the reservation booking staff. If the staff members are found guilty, we will take action against them.”

Surprise checks were conducted by the anti-corruption unit officials of the CBI and the railway vigilance department at six unauthorised travel agencies for allegedly running an illegal business of procuring and supplying of railway reservation tickets to customers, at a higher cost, infringing on the rights of legitimate customers standing in queue.

Besides confiscating the 405 tickets, the officers seized a large number of blank as well as filled requisition slips for reservation, and booking registers.

The officers had received various complaints from people who said that they were not getting a Tatkal journey ticket even after standing in the queue for more than 24 hours, and that these touts were procuring all the tickets with help from the railway reservation staff.

In the interest of the general public, these surprise checks were conducted at Mujawar Travels at Mumbai Central; A.K. Travels at Fort; National Tours & Travels at Pydhonie; K.G.N Tours & Travels at Kazipura; Two Tanks at Pydhonie and Mayuri Travels at Mulund.