Supreme Court Tackles Integrity of India's Railway Ticketing System

The Supreme Court emphasizes the importance of maintaining the integrity of Indian Railways' ticketing system, hearing appeals against two men accused of fraud under Section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989. The court differentiated between unauthorized and authorized actions, quashing proceedings against an authorized agent.

The Supreme Court has underscored the pivotal role of Indian Railways in the country's infrastructure, highlighting the imperative to protect its ticketing system from fraudulent activities. This was articulated during the hearing of appeals involving two men, accused of exploiting the system for profit.

The Justices discussed the interpretation of Section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989, which pertains to penalties for unauthorized ticketing activities. One appeal involved a Kerala High Court decision quashing charges against Mathew K Cheriian, accused of creating fake IRCTC user IDs for ticket sales.

The court distinguished between the actions of Mathew, an unauthorized agent, who faces proceedings, and J Ramesh, an authorized agent, against whom criminal charges were dismissed due to the lack of evidence for unauthorized actions.

(With inputs from agencies.)