IT IS all over in a matter of seconds.
When the online window to book tickets on long-distance trains opens at 8 am, all it takes for unauthorised software programmes, such as ‘Brahmos’, ‘Tesla’, ‘Avengers’ and ‘Dr Doom’, to fill in the required details is 15 seconds —leaving thousands of other ticket-seekers stranded.
These software hacks, given “trendy names” by developers so that they can “easily be recalled”, are the focus of a crackdown by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on inter-state gangs comprising developers, online admins, “super sellers” and touts, The Indian Express has learnt.
Explaining how the system works, an official said that a day before the booking is open online, details like name and age of a person wanting to reserve a ticket is taken by the tout who has a “membership” in these high-end systems from “super sellers” who oversee entire divisions.
“At 8 am, these systems are set in motion. The software is coded in such a manner that they manage parallel activities simultaneously as against the linear and longer progress that is followed by a normal person booking tickets online,” the official said.
“A person will fill in details, then get an OTP, then fill in the Captcha code. The software will have pre-filled information of a person uploaded. An OTP is generated and fed into the system even as the Captcha code is filled — all at the same time. Within 10-15 seconds, the ticket is booked while manually it will take more time,” the official said.
When contacted, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, Mumbai, Rishi Shukla told The Indian Express: “The RPF is constantly on the alert for such ticketing scams and we have made several arrests in connection with such cases.”
According to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) rules, OTPs should not be automatically read by any system and Captcha codes are meant to ensure bots don’t subvert the process.
“But unauthorised systems have managed to bypass these security measures…they keep advancing with various systems like Avengers, SpaceX, Dr Doom. While Tesla has been active since the past six months, Brahmos has come in a month back. While super sellers sell these software systems for Rs 1,500-Rs 2,500 per month without any limit on tickets, Brahmos, which is advanced, charges Rs 99 per PNR. One PNR can have six passengers and four in tatkal,” another official said.
Outlining the profit margins, the official said one sleeper PNR costing Rs 800 is given by these touts for Rs 2,000 and the prices go up by many times during festive seasons for trains going to states in north India like UP and Bihar. “For example, in third AC, what would cost Rs 2,300 would go up to Rs 4,000,” the official said.
Railway officials say they have started taking various steps to tackle the menace — from letting payments be made only 35 seconds after 8 am to allowing only Aadhaar-verified IDs to book tickets.
“Ever since Aadhaar verification has been made compulsory for booking IDs, the demand for such IDs has gone up in the black market. Earlier, you had to pay Rs 30 to get an ID (to be misused for bookings). It now costs Rs 500,” the official said.
Besides, the RPF’s IT cell registered 10 cases this year and 25-30 last year related to illegal booking of tickets. In all, nearly 50 people have been arrested so far, including “super sellers”, touts and developers.
In two key cases, for which the trial are on in courts, the developers were traced to villages in Jharkhand and Maharashtra:
* In January 2020, the RPF arrested a “self-taught” software developer Ghulam Mustafa from Jharkhand along with his accomplices and seized Rs 3.5 crore worth tickets. Mustafa allegedly used the illegal ticketing software “ANMS MAC”. He was also found to be running a YouTube channel in which he purportedly provided instructions on how to hack the system.
A total of 566 personal IRCTC booking IDs, a list of 2,400 SBI branches and 600 regional rural banks where he is alleged to have operated accounts, and e-cards from Pakistan and Bangladesh, were seized, police said.
* In another case, between December 2023 and April 2024, RPF arrested 16 people, including Bipin Gaur from a village in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi who allegedly developed and used a software called “Nexus” for touts to book tickets.
The investigation revealed 23 “suspicious” bank account transactions, and 234 e-tickets, valued at Rs 4.85 lakh. Among these, 94 tickets were for live or future journeys, valued at Rs 2.20 lakh and associated with five agent IDs and 684 personal user IDs. Further, 193 suspected tout leads were identified and circulated across various Railway zones.
Last month, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw honoured Gopalkrishna Rai, Sub Inspector posted with the IT cell of Central Railway’s Mumbai Division, for busting this case.
“It is a cat and mouse game where fraudsters keep trying to find ways to circumvent measures taken by the government. Those who may not have a technical background just hire freelancers, instructing them on the kind of software they want,” the official said.
Software hacks focus of crackdown by Railway Protection Force. 
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