Pune: A railway ticket fraud that duped passengers with fake confirmation messages was exposed at the Pune Railway Station on Monday, December 23. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested Praveenkumar Madhukar Londhe, a resident of Gotkhindi, Valva Taluka, for orchestrating the scam.

The incident came to light when two passengers were issued tickets for the same seat on the Pune-Jammu Tawi Jhelum Express. The matter escalated into a dispute, prompting the ticket examiner to investigate.

Modus Operandi:

Londhe targeted passengers at railway stations who struggled to secure tickets. He convinced them he could obtain tickets through official sources and collected their personal details and mobile numbers. He then sent fake confirmation messages, charged a fee, and disappeared. The seats mentioned in his confirmation messages were already officially allocated to other passengers, leading to conflicts during travel.

The scam was discovered on the Jhelum Express by ticket examiner G.S. Rajapure, who informed the authorities. An investigation team led by RPF Inspector Sunil Kumar Yadav, Santosh Jaybhaye, Yuvraj Gaikwad, and Cyber Cell experts traced Londhe through his mobile number and arrested him.

Londhe sent a fake ticket confirmation message to a passenger with the following details:

• PNR Number: 8451236947

• Train Number: 11077 (Jhelum Express)

• Travel Date: December 17, 2024

• Class: Sleeper

• Journey: Pune to New Delhi

• Seat Numbers: S2-63 and S2-71

• Fare: ₹1980 (plus agent charges)

He collected ₹2000 from the passenger. However, during the journey, the seat was already occupied by another passenger, leading to an argument. The ticket examiner’s investigation revealed that the ticket was fake.

Londhe admitted to defrauding another passenger on December 12 using the same method. He has been charged under sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Pune Railway Police Station. Sub-Inspector Nazre is leading the investigation.