A social media post has claimed that an alleged new rule notes that booking train tickets for friends could cost the person ₹10,000 or jail.
It adds according to Section 143 of the Railway Act, only officially appointed agents are authorized to make bookings for third parties. Thus, violating this rule can result in legal action, including a potential jail term of up to 3 years and a fine of ₹10,000.
The post also says the supposed new regulation mandates that individuals can only book tickets for blood relations or those with the same surname using their personal ID.
Who shared it?: Apart from social media users, we found reports by Saam TV and Zee News Telugu. These reports also noted the supposed new rule.
(Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)
Is this true?: No, the claim is false.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) took to their social media and termed the claim "false." Additionally, their website's frequently asked questions section notes that one can book tickets for friends and family.
We found that the mentioned Section 143 deals with the unauthorised carrying on of the business of procuring and supplying railway tickets and not as claimed.
How did we find out?: At first, we looked for press releases or notifications by the Ministry of Railways or IRCTC about such a regulation, but did not find any.
Upon checking the "FAQ" section on the Indian Railways website, we saw the question, "Can I book tickets for my friends or family?" to which the railways answered in the affirmative.
In the claim, Section 143 of the Indian Railways Act 1989 attributed it to the punishment for the supposed new rule.
However, Section 143 deals with the “unauthorised carrying on of a business of procuring and supplying of railway tickets”.
It is mentioned that any person who is not a railway employee or an authorised agent, involved in the process of acquiring and dispensing railway travel tickets, could be subject to a maximum of three years in prison or a fine of ₹10,000.
IRCTC responds: Taking to their official X account, IRCTC said, "The news in circulation on social media about restriction in booking of e-tickets due to different surname is false and misleading." (sic)
Conclusion: A false claim is circulating that booking tickets for friends is not permitted, and doing so would lead to a fine or jail.
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