How police outsmarted an IRCTC ticket tout, whose habit of chewing tobacco led to his arrest with all evidence intact
After the arrest of Bipin Gaur from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra in December 2023, the police dismantled a ticket tout network of 16 people.
Written by Mohamed Thaver
Mumbai | October 16, 2025 03:57 PM IST
3 min read
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Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw honouring Gopalkrishna Rai, who led the probe against the IRCTC ticket touts, on October 13.
A few years ago, the name Bipin Gaur often came up whenever the Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested touts who exploited the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) portal using software tools to book tickets in large quantities for profit.
After an extensive search, the RPF located him deep inside a village in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, from where he operated his illegal activities. He had set up a camera to monitor the area and prevent anyone from entering his hideout.
The RFP did not want to barge into the house because he would see them coming and might damage the software he used to book the tickets. They wanted to catch him red-handed.
Gopalkrishna Rai, Sub Inspector, Mumbai Division, Central Railway, who was posted with the IT cell and would probe cases of ticket touts, explained how Gaur operated and how the police played the waiting game with him.
“He (Gaur) was responsible for a software called ‘Nexus’ that was used to procure e-tickets from the IRCTC portal before others. We traced his location to a village in Bhiwandi, where he had a camera set up to see if anyone was coming in. Our teams were camping there for several days, but he did not come out at all and was cautious,” said Rai.
Finally, Gaur blinked first. “On December 20, 2023, he stepped out to spit tobacco, and we apprehended him outside his house and overpowered him,” Rai said.
More ticket touts arrested
The RPF transferred Gaur to the Bhiwandi Road police station, where an FIR was registered against him. His arrest led to the dismantling of an entire network of ticket touts as the RPF nabbed 16 people, including one Hyder Ali from Siwan in Bihar, who had allegedly made the ‘Nexus’ software.
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The investigation revealed 23 suspicious bank account transactions. It also discovered 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, associated with five agent IDs and 684 personal user IDs. Furthermore, 193 suspected tout leads were identified and circulated across various zones of Indian Railways.
On October 13, in a function held in Gujarat, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw honoured Rai wth a medal for ‘best investigation’ for his role in busting the IRCTC ticket scam module.
Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems.
Experience & Authority
Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field.
Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus.
Key Beats:
Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force.
Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict.
Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations.
Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed.
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Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order.
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