VIJAYAWADA: A train ticket examiner (TTE) identified an e-ticket fraud by a Kolkata-based ticketing agent. According to a release issued by the Vijayawada division of South Central Railway, the incident happened on August 24, when the TTE, I Phaneendra Kumar, was on the Shalimar-MGR Chennai Central Express. He saw the duo boarding the AC coach at Ongole station and asked to see their tickets.
The youngsters showed him a screen grab of the e-ticket which had certificate numbers for handicapped concession and without any fare particulars. The youth were travelling from Santragachi in West Bengal to Chennai in Tamil Nadu with reservation berths in a non-AC compartment. The TTE observed that the youth were physically and mentally fit.
Kumar sensed something was wrong. The TTE asked the youngsters to produce a physical copy of the certificate for handicapped concessions through which the tickets were booked. The youth revealed that they did not have an idea of any such certificate.
Kumar also noticed that the age on the ticket was not the same as their Aadhaar cards. They tried to call the travel agent, but he neither answered nor returned the call. Explaining the situation to them, the TTE asked the youngsters to pay the actual ticket fare and penalty.