VISAKHAPATNAM: In a major breakthrough, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Visakhapatnam, has detected two more illegal software—Makkhichoose and Super Tatkal—used to manipulate and hack the IRCTC e-ticket portal and generate Tatkal railway tickets. The RPF special team, constituted to conduct raids, unearthed Tatkal tickets worth Rs 9.99 lakh.
Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Jitendra Srivastava said on Friday the software, ‘Makkhichoose’ and ‘Super Tatkal’, work at much faster speed and book tickets by using high speed internet, user IDs and highly configuration computers.
This apart, he said they also provide features such as auto fill of passenger details, train details, bank details, travel plans, auto login IRCTC, captcha, One Time Password bypass prior to opening Tatkal e-ticket portal so that the agents could able to generate tickets within a fraction of seconds.
Based on credible information and intelligence inputs, RPF special team, led by Inspectors B Ramu and M Raman, searched Rainbow Services in Manchukonda Gardens, Satyanagar, which is operated by K Srinivasa Rao, and seized 614 tickets valued at Rs 9.99 lakh. Rao was arrested and the team seized several computers, accessories and mobile phones.
It was learnt Rao used to collect Rs 50 extra per passenger for general tickets and Rs 200 per passenger for AC tickets. A case has been filed at RPF, Marripalem. He was produced before VI MM court for Railways, Visakhapatnam and remanded to judicial custody.
Similar searches were also conducted at MVP Colony, NAD Junction, Narasannapeta, Bobbili, Rayagada Gunpur in Odisha. The RPF teams arrested the culprits and seized 347 tickets worth Rs 5.37 lakh.
“So far, the Waltair Division detected three illegal software that were used to hoodwink the IRCTC website and passengers,” Srivastava said.