Lalu praises TTE for charging money from his in-laws

NEW DELHI: In a damage control exercise, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad praised the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) who had caught his parents-in-law for travelling without tickets.

"The prompt action taken by the TTE with regard to my parents-in law is a matter of pride for the Railways. His bold step to immediately charge money from them is commendable....It should be a lesson for those travelling without tickets," he said.

He was addressing the media after IRCTC and ICICI signed an MoU at Rail Bhawan for extending the sale of e-tickets through merchant establishments located across 125 cities all over the country.

The Railway Minister admitted that it was a mistake on the part of his parents-in-law but added that it was rectified as they paid money for their AC class travel.

He was also critical of the media saying what they wrote was in "bad taste", but "we have to digest it".

Shiva Prasad Choudhary and his wife, parents of Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi, had on Monday boarded an AC first class coach of Darbhanga-New Delhi Sampark Kranti Express without tickets. They were allowed to continue their journey after tickets were issued to them on AC first class fare.