India, April 6 -- A major ticketing fraud involving forged documents and the misuse of the railway's emergency VIP quota has come to light on Central Railway (CR), just as summer travel demand reaches its peak.

On Thursday, CR's vigilance department apprehended a canteen staffer, identified as Ravindra Sahu, employed as a waiter at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) for allegedly forging signatures and official stamps to secure confirmed tickets on long-distance trains. The tickets were issued under the 'HO Quota', a railway VIP quota generally reserved for high-priority cases.

The racket was uncovered when officials in the commercial department spotted requisition forms bearing the signature and stamp of a railway officer curr...