On Uma beat, MPs get Laloo stick over tickets

An MP is entitled to free travel with a companion. The tickets for the Chaubey and Modi were booked on a written note from the BJP office in Patna. Yadav said this is an unfortunate trend and he would ensure that no MP misuses his privileges, at least with the Railways. ‘‘These people happened to be from the BJP. I will not spare anybody,’’ he said.

‘‘I got information from the Special Branch in Patna that the MPs had booked their tickets in II AC of Sanghamitra Express (Patna-Yashwantpur) but some other persons were travelling in their place,’’ Yadav told The Indian Express. ‘‘I immediately called the DRM of Mughalsarai and told him to verify, but the train had already crossed the station. The Allahabad DRM was then informed and asked to take appropriate action.’’

But since the train does not touch Allahabad, but runs via Chheoki towards Manikpur, the Allahabad DRM sent a team to Chheoki. ‘‘The checking team detected that berth numbers 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 in coach A-1 were reserved in the names of MP L.M Chaubey (I Card number 95) and S.K. Modi (IC 85),’’ the report sent by Allahabad DRM Shri Prakash said. ‘‘However, neither MP was travelling on this train. On these berths, Prof L.M. Singh, S.P. Singh, S.K. Sharma and R.S. Prasad were travelling without valid travel documents.’’

The four were charged Rs 11,856 to Rs 14,464 as fare and Rs 2,608 as penalty for travelling without tickets. ‘‘These people think it is still the BJP ‘raj’. They should realise things have changed,’’ Yadav said.