The vigilance department of Western Railway, in collaboration with Surat police, has uncovered a significant train ticket scam amounting to Rs4.50 crore, linked to Ekta Travels, a prominent travel agency located in the CityLight area of Surat. The operation was orchestrated by Rajesh Girdhari Mittal, 55, the agency’s owner, along with his employee, Kripa Dinesh Patel, 25, leading to fraudulent financial transactions totaling approximately Rs10 crore across Mittal’s and his family’s accounts.
The fraudulent scheme was exposed after vigilance officer Sanjay Sharma lodged an official complaint with the Umra police. Reports indicate that Rajesh Mittal and Kripa Patel utilized Ghadar software to hack into the IRCTC website, bypassing the official gateway to book e-tickets directly, securing confirmed reservations. This illicit activity involved the creation of around 973 bogus IDs, through which they booked an astonishing 2.88 crore e-tickets.
During a police raid, authorities seized five laptops, five routers, and four email accounts essential to executing the scam. Investigations revealed that the Ghadar software enabled the accused to infiltrate the IRCTC system, allowing them to manufacture and purchase tickets effortlessly, primarily targeting clients from affluent areas in Surat.
Kripa Dinesh Patel, who had been employed for just three months at a salary of Rs10,000, was responsible for managing the Ghadar software. Her duties included overseeing the booking process for clients and ensuring the seamless issuance of fraudulent tickets without detection.