Tatkal ticket scam: CBI officer arrested

◗ Garg has been arrested along with his close aide Anil Gupta, a private person

The CBI on Wednesday arrested its software programmer and a private person for developing an illegal software to subvert the railways ‘ Tatkal reservation system’.

According to sources Ajay Garg, an assistant programmer with CBI, had earlier worked with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd ( IRCTC) for four years between 2007- 2011 where he learnt the vulnerabilities of the railway ticketing system.

Garg has been arrested along with his close aide Anil Gupta, a private person who distributed the software to agents for a price.

Besides, the agency sleuths have also identified 10 agents — seven in Jaunpur ( Uttar Pradesh) and three in Mumbai— who were allegedly working for the accused, they added.

CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said, “This case is in line with CBI Director’s policy of having a robust internal mechanism of ensuring probity and having zero tolerance towards corruption”.

Garg, who joined CBI in 2012, exploited the vulnerabilities to develop the illegal software, which allowed agents to book hundreds of tickets in one go, leaving genuine passengers in the lurch, sources said. “The vulnerabilities of the IRCTC system still exist,” an official said. A postgraduate in computer applications, Garg allegedly sold the software through Gupta. It was also alleged that accused were allegedly receiving money from the agents for the use of said software through Bitcoins and hawala network.