Mumbai: A tea vendor at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) was caught running a racket to confirm railway tickets under the VIP quota using forged signatures and seals of senior officials. The scam, uncovered by the Central Railway‘s vigilance department, is estimated to have generated Rs 1.5-2 lakh per month.
Officials said the accused, Ravindra Kumar Sahu, who worked at the railway canteen, supplied tea to senior railway officers. He allegedly used fake seals and signatures of senior divisional finance managers, chief medical officers, and chief engineers to get waitlisted tickets confirmed under the VIP quota. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched an investigation, and a case is being filed at the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar police station for railway fraud.
The scam came to light when a vigilance team, led by Chief Vigilance Inspector Jitendra Sharma and R S Gupta, conducted checks on the Kolkata Mail. During passenger verification, some travellers admitted to paying extra for confirmed tickets. This prompted a deeper probe, which led to Sahu’s arrest.
Investigators suspect the racket was operational for at least three months, but railway officials believe it may have been running for two years. — Manthan Mehta