E-tatkal software under CBI lens
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: A week after CBI arrested its assistant programmer along with another person for allegedly running a Tatkal ticketing racket, the central agency said that a large number of online software programmes being used by travel agents to trick the IRCTC booking system is under itsscanner.
These programmes, CBI has learned while probing its own assistant programmer Ajay Garg, are easily available online for a price and they work on “auto fill” system where details of large number of ticket seekers are entered and kept ready even before Tatkal bookings open on the IRCTC website at 10am for trains departing next day.
Garg had developed one such software.
Sources added that these programmes speed up the PNR generating process, bypassing the IRCTC captcha and allowing login with multiple IDs, enabling a large number of ticket bookings simultaneously on a single click of the mouse. They further allow the users to fraudulently gain unauthorised access to computer network in contravention of rules and regulations.
“All such software programmes are under the scanner. We are examining them and may soon take action, if any illegality is found in their operations,” an official said.
“Useof such software isillegal as per rules and regulations of the IRCTC and also under the Railways Act,” said an officer. Apart from Garg, CBIhad arrestedhis associate Anil Gupta last week for developing and distributing the software to agentsfor a price.
The ticket bookings under Tatkal quota open at 10am for AC class and 11am for non-AC coaches for the trains departing next day. Under the quota, a fixed number of seats, in each coach, are sold at a premium by the railways to travellers who need tickets urgently. A common complaint of passengers is that by the time they enter details on the IRCTC website or complete booking process, seats under Tatkal quota gets full within minutes of start of the booking. Their bookings are either rejected or they get a waitlisted ticket that too at a very steep prices. Some travel agents offer to provide confirmed tickets under the quota by charging a premium.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: A week after CBI arrested its assistant programmer along with another person for allegedly running a Tatkal ticketing racket, the central agency said that a large number of online software programmes being used by travel agents to trick the IRCTC booking system is under itsscanner.
These programmes, CBI has learned while probing its own assistant programmer Ajay Garg, are easily available online for a price and they work on “auto fill” system where details of large number of ticket seekers are entered and kept ready even before Tatkal bookings open on the IRCTC website at 10am for trains departing next day.
Garg had developed one such software.
Sources added that these programmes speed up the PNR generating process, bypassing the IRCTC captcha and allowing login with multiple IDs, enabling a large number of ticket bookings simultaneously on a single click of the mouse. They further allow the users to fraudulently gain unauthorised access to computer network in contravention of rules and regulations.
“All such software programmes are under the scanner. We are examining them and may soon take action, if any illegality is found in their operations,” an official said.
“Useof such software isillegal as per rules and regulations of the IRCTC and also under the Railways Act,” said an officer. Apart from Garg, CBIhad arrestedhis associate Anil Gupta last week for developing and distributing the software to agentsfor a price.
The ticket bookings under Tatkal quota open at 10am for AC class and 11am for non-AC coaches for the trains departing next day. Under the quota, a fixed number of seats, in each coach, are sold at a premium by the railways to travellers who need tickets urgently. A common complaint of passengers is that by the time they enter details on the IRCTC website or complete booking process, seats under Tatkal quota gets full within minutes of start of the booking. Their bookings are either rejected or they get a waitlisted ticket that too at a very steep prices. Some travel agents offer to provide confirmed tickets under the quota by charging a premium.
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