Rlys detects more ticketing frauds

“As many as 24 mismatched ticketing cases were detected at CST. Of these,the modus operandi was similar in 21 cases — that of non-issue tickets. It involves generating a low-value ticket but not entering it in the ticket stationery,then generating a high-value ticket that is printed with the earlier ticket number. The ticket on which the high value is supposed to be entered is kept blank and never issued to any one,” a source said.

“But in three cases,the modus operandi was different. Here,a high-value ticket is generated but shown as a non-issue ticket in the system. After issuing two or three such tickets,a command is given for a short-value ticket and that stationery is saved. As the stock number of the stationery is different,they tear away the stock number from the corner of the paper.”

“In the cases detected last year,one booking clerk has been removed from service while the other are facing vigilance inquiries. Such frauds have been going on in railways for years now,” a CR official said.

The auditing found a shortage of lakhs of rupees in the accounts last year. It was more than Rs 25 lakh at CST alone. “Booking clerks who commit such fraud earn Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 a day. Why regular checks are not being done is a mystery,” a CST staffer said.

However,such frauds are not limited to CR. The Western Railway has also suspended two booking clerks from service in June for issuing mismatched tickets. Shyam Sunder Gupta,chief public relations officer,WR,said,“The WR detected two cases and both of them had a similar modus operandi. The booking clerks are under suspension now.”

AK Singh,public relations officer,CR,said the latest case is being probed.