The masterminds behind illicit software for booking of railway Tatakal tickets benefiting travel and ticket agencies have been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
CBI officials said assistant programmer Ajay Garg and his front, Anil Gupta, along with thirteen others, including travel agents and Garg’s family members, have been arrested and booked.
It is alleged the men involved in the Tatkal ticket racket developed and distributed such software to travel and ticketing agents for a price to support them confirming booking in just a mouse click while passengers find hard to do the same.
CBI spokesperson said parents, wife, sister and brother-in-law of Garg too played role in the racket by making collections from travel agents in bitcoins and through hawala channels.
So far 10 travel agents have been identified to have connection. They are seven from Jaunpur and three from Mumbai.
CBI Director Alok Verma said, “The case is in line with our policy of having a robust internal mechanism of ensuring probity and having a zero tolerance towards corruption.”
The Tatkal bookings open at 10 am and 11 am for AC class and non-AC coaches respectively for trains departing the following day and under such quota system certain number of seats are fixed to be sold at a premium.
It Is commonly complained by commuters the seats under Tatkal gets full within minutes after opening on the IRCTC website.
