IITian Arrested For Better Ticketing App Says He Wanted To Improve IRCTC Website

S Yuvarajaa, an IIT alumni who was recently arrested on the charges of running an unauthorized business of procuring and supplying railway tickets, is now out on bail.

Having spent about a week in jail, Yuvarajaa now wants IRCTC to hear him out and know of his intentions.

Reuters

The 32-year-old Tirupur native was booked under the Indian Railways Act 1989 and was arrested on October 23. The charges were placed for two Android apps developed by him - 'Super Tatkal' and 'Super Tatkal Pro'. Both the apps let users book railway tickets.

Yuvarajaa had created the apps in 2016 and managed to run them till the day of his arrest. Overtime, the apps had inducted a 'coin' based system that let users book railway tickets at a nominal fee. The Railway Police claims that Yuvarajaa earned Rs 20 lakh through Super Tatkal during its four-years operation. Earlier available on Google Play Store, both the apps have been taken down now.

As per the charges against him, Yuvarajaa¡¯s mistake was that he did not procure the necessary authorisation to procure and supply railway tickets through his portal. Since he was not considered an authorised agent of IRCTC, he was blamed for bypassing the railway system and making money illegally.

Meant Well

Yuvarajaa is now out on bail but still faces legal charges. Putting his side forward, Yuvarajaa now wants railways to know that his intentions were pure and that he only wanted to help the passengers to book their tickets with ease.

Reuters

In an interaction with Huffpost India, Yuvarajaa claims that he never wished to dupe users and only wanted to help elevate the online booking experience. He points out that all the users of the app were much aware of the payment model and that no one was cheated.

He further states that he was only ¡°trying to create something of value for people¡± and was unaware that the app would be considered illegal. He even claims to be aware of solutions to the persisting issues on the IRCTC website and that he would like to help make the website better for end users.

Since the incident came to light, there is a raging debate online on whether Yuvarajaa¡¯s arrest was justified. While it is known for sure that his apps bypassed the railway system, many point out that he could have been given a warning or a cease-and-desist order before his arrest. Some say that instead of pressing legal charges against such talented home-borne entrepreneurs, they should be brought to the limelight to help make the existing industrial practices better.

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