Karnataka HC quashes criminal case against startup founders over Tatkal ticket booking tool – ThePrint – PTIFeed

Bengaluru, Sept 6 (PTI) – The Karnataka High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against an IIT graduate and startup founder who had developed a software tool that significantly reduced the time taken to book Tatkal train tickets.

Gaurav Dhake was charged under Section 143 of the Railways Act for allegedly illegally purchasing and selling railway tickets. The case against him was dismissed by a Single Judge Bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna.

The software tool, which auto-filled the traveller's details to speed up the booking process on the IRCTC website, was initially offered free of charge. However, in February 2020, Dhake restricted its use to 10 bookings per day to prevent bulk selling of tickets by travel agents and started charging Rs 30 per booking for “authenticity”. The Railways sent Dhake a notice in September 2020, which led to the initiation of a criminal case against him.

The Railways Protection Force (RPF) argued that Dhake had made a profit of over Rs 1.2 million using the software. However, the court found no evidence of illegal purchase or sale of tickets, which would be essential elements to justify a charge under Section 143 of the Railways Act.

“The plaintiff was not involved in the illicit business of procuring or distributing railway tickets,” the court observed, dismissing the charge as an “abuse of process”. Justice Nagaprasanna also referred to a 2016 Kerala High Court judgment in a similar case, which held that the facts in Dhake's case did not warrant continuation of the trial.

Dhake had argued that his tool merely speeds up the booking process for the benefit of the public and was not intended for any illegal purpose. PTI CORR AMP RS RS

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