Chennai: Sleuths from the crime intelligence branch of RPF on Wednesday arrested a travel agent from Egmore for allegedly selling train e-tickets at a higher price to passengers, after creating multiple access points.
The investigators seized over 90 tickets, worth over Rs 1.86 lakh kept ready by the agent.
RPF sources identified the arrested as Thangvel, who was running Sudharshan tours and The agent had been booking tickets, including tatkal category, by using multiple email ids and mobile phone numbers in passengers’ name before selling the same to them at a premium, on busy routes.
“Based on intelligence inputs a team, consisting inspector Muthupandi, constables Murali, Manisekar and Diwakar, armed with a search warrant, raided the office of the suspect on Wednesday and seized the tickets,” a source said.
While people waited at the counter for booking tickets, travel agents like Thangavel using multiple access tools booked e-tickets and sold the same to those who are ready to shell out more money.
For every ticket, the agent charged at least '300 to '500 extra during festival time like Deepavali. Majority of tickets we seized were booked in various trains going to destinations like Madurai and Tirunelveli,” the source said.
Senior RPF officials including S.C. Pari, inspector general and K.K. Asharaf, senior divisional security commissioner, have been asking their teams to conduct regular raids in travel agents’ office and since January this year, RPF sleuths had seized train tickets worth over '15 lakh besides booked 60 cases. “Wednesday’s seizure was the biggest seizure in recent times,” an official noted.
