How fraudsters who set up websites to sell train tickets at inflated prices landed in CBI net
A Delhi court on Tuesday took cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet against the accused involved in the fraud network. As per the agency, five websites sold the illegal software.
4 min read
On Tuesday, a Delhi court took cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet filed against the accused in the case on the basis of the central agency’s investigation which was presented in court by Public Prosecutor Vikas Khatri.Five years ago, a group of men created a network of websites to sell railway tickets to people across India, many of whom were unaware that these websites were not authorised by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Public Sector Undertaking that provides ticketing, catering, and tourism services for the Indian Railways.
On Tuesday, a Delhi court took cognisance of the CBI’s chargesheet filed against the accused in the case on the basis of the central agency’s investigation which was presented in court by Public Prosecutor Vikas Khatri.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Deepak Kumar of the Rouse Avenue Court, in the order dated July 8, said, “…in view of the foregoing discussion and material available on record, I take cognizance. Let all the accused persons be summoned…for the NDOH (next date of hearing on September 10).”
IRCTC anti-fraud division detects illegal sales
Investigators began to look into the case after Rakesh Kumar Mishra, Manager (Anti-fraud) at the IRCTC’s IT Centre in New Delhi approached the Cyber Crime Cell in Sector 16, Dwarka, to lodge a complaint in 2020. He alleged that a software application was being used for the unauthorised sale of IRCTC e-tickets for reserved railway berths through a website in an illegal manner.
Immediately, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged a First Information Report (FIR) alleging that fraudsters were cheating railway customers. As per the agency, five websites –www.tatkalsoftware.asia, http://www.redmirchie.com, http://www.irctctatkalsoftware.co.in, http://www.freetatkalsoftware.com and http://www.tatkalsoftwarebest.in – sold illegal software in this connection.
The CBI investigation led to one Rakesh Kumawat who allegedly revealed his involvement in procuring a software from a person called Ajay. The agency also obtained the contact number of another accused, Asif Ali, who allegedly handled one such website.
Raids and arrests
Premises linked to Ali were searched on September 1, 2021, which led to the recovery of three mobile phones, a laptop, six SIM cards, bank documents and a diary which allegedly contained information about the illegal software, the CBI said. They immediately arrested Ali.
The CBI probe revealed that Ali allegedly used five bank accounts and e-wallets for dealing with agents and software sellers. As per the agency, he sold the tickets at a premium for “personal gain” despite not being an authorised IRCTC agent.
On April 19, 2023, the CBI conducted searches at the premises of Rohit Kumar Maurya and Rajeev Kumar Maurya who were also allegedly involved in the network. The search led to the recovery of a laptop, notes containing multiple IRCTC IDs, CDs with digital signatures of IRCTC agent IDs, and a diary containing notes showing their involvement in the alleged scam.
According to the CBI, various agents had been booking tickets through these websites after taking extra money from customers. “Thereby wrongful loss is being caused to general public and…profit is being gained wrongfully by the agents, distributers, software developers, website managers including owner and the other chain of persons involved in developing and selling the above mentioned softwares,” the FIR said.
“That the general public is not getting tatkal tickets fairly and the persons involved in the racket are able to get these tickets after taking a hefty margin as commission, thereby gaining wrongfully,” it added, alleging that the websites bypassed the OTPs of banks and the IRCTC, and were involved in a “cyber and large scale economic offence using high end technology.”
You May Like
Photos
