Mumbai: Central Railway has registered an FIR against three passengers caught travelling with AI-generated fake UTS season tickets on Mumbai’s AC local trains. The FIR follows two separate detections by vigilant ticket-checking staff within just two days.
Fake Ticket Travel Can Lead to 7-Year Jail Term: CR
The first case was detected on November 26, and the second on November 28. According to CR, travelling on a fake ticket is a punishable offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023, with a fine of up to Rs 1,000 and imprisonment of up to seven years, or both.
On 28 November, Ticket Examiner Prashant Kamble of Central Railway identified three passengers travelling with forged UTS season tickets aboard the 6:45 am Parel–Kalyan AC local. The passengers — Niraj Talreja, Atharv Baag and Aditi Manglurkar — produced tickets saved in their mobile phones’ “My Files–Documents” folder instead of through the official UTS app, prompting suspicion
"During verification, Kamble noted that all three tickets carried the same UTS number (XOOJHN4569), even though each genuine UTS-generated ticket is issued with a unique identifier. Further checks confirmed that no valid tickets had been issued to the mobile numbers used by the trio. The passengers were immediately handed over to the Government Railway Police, Kurla, for legal action" said an official.
Second Fake Ticket Case Detected Within Two Days
This incident comes just two days after another case on 26 November, when Travelling Ticket Inspector Vishal Navle detected a woman travelling with a fake season ticket on the 10:02 am Kalyan–Dadar AC local. The ticket, bearing UTS number X06YDZG055, was supposedly issued from Ambarnath to Dadar and valid till 11 December — but was found to be fabricated.
Investigations have revealed that the fraudulent tickets in both cases were generated using AI tools, raising concerns about the growing misuse of technology for ticketing fraud
An FIR has been filed against all three accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, 2023, which prescribes penalties including fines and imprisonment up to seven years for fraudulent travel or generation of fake tickets.
Praising the vigilance of the staff, a senior Central Railway official said, “Prashant Kamble’s alertness and sharp thinking have helped uncover yet another fake ticketing racket. His dedication sets a strong example for others.”
CR Warns Against Fake Tickets
Central Railway has urged commuters to travel only with valid tickets purchased through authorised channels, including station booking counters, ATVMs, and the official UTS mobile app. The railway authority warned that strict action will continue against anyone found travelling with forged or illegally generated tickets.
“Using fake tickets is a serious offence and will attract severe legal consequences,” the official added, reaffirming Central Railway’s commitment to curbing ticketing fraud across the Mumbai suburban network.
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