Western Railway’s RPF apprehends 49 touts and seizes illegal tickets worth Rs 26 lakh in two weeks
Mumbai, 20th April 2023: The Western Railway’s Railway Protection Force (RPF) has seized 1088 e-tickets and journey-cum-reservation tickets worth approximately Rs. 26.70 lakhs in the first two weeks of April 2023. The seizures were made in 46 cases of illegal touting, in which 49 people were apprehended through special drives.
According to a press release issued by Sumit Thakur, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, the RPF formed special teams to conduct drives against touts. The teams comprised staff from the Detective Wing of RPF Crime Branch, Cyber Cell, and Divisions. The touts were found to be using fake identity cards, including those of authorized IRCTC agents, to book tickets and charge extra money from passengers.
Thakur stated that the RPF has been conducting regular drives against touts and has arrested 769 accused of illegal touting in 2022, seizing tickets worth more than Rs. 32.63 crore in 629 cases. He also mentioned that the RPF has conducted awareness campaigns to discourage passengers from purchasing tickets through illegal touts and educate them about the legal provisions and consequences of doing so.
Cases have been registered against the miscreants under Section 143 of the Railways Act. The RPF will continue to conduct special drives and raids against touts to ensure that innocent passengers are not exploited by them.
