IIT Kharagpur Grad From Maharashtra Cleared by Karnataka HC in ‘Tatkal For Sure’ Ticket Booking Case
IIT Kharagpur Grad From Maharashtra Cleared by Karnataka HC in 'Tatkal For Sure' Ticket Booking Case
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed the criminal case against Gaurav Dhake, an IIT Kharagpur graduate from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, who developed a web extension called “Tatkal For Sure” to help passengers book Tatkal train tickets faster. Dhake was initially charged under Section 143 of the Railways Act, which targets unauthorized procurement and distribution of railway tickets. However, a single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna quashed the case, ruling that Dhake did not engage in illegal ticket procurement.
Dhake’s extension, “Tatkal For Sure,” launched in 2017, auto-filled passenger details for Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website, significantly speeding up the booking process. While typical bookings took eight minutes, his tool reduced the time to just 40–45 seconds. The extension gained popularity but drew attention from railway authorities when Dhake started charging users Rs 30 per ticket in 2020 after capping bookings at 10 per month.
Despite being booked by the railway police, Dhake argued that he was paying all relevant taxes, including GST, on his transactions. The High Court agreed, noting that Dhake did not engage in unauthorized ticket procurement or supply, as required for an offense under Section 143 of the Railways Act. The court further emphasized that continuing the case would contradict the law, and any proceedings against Dhake based on similar grounds would not stand.
Justice Nagaprasanna’s ruling offers a significant reprieve for Dhake, who had initially launched “Tatkal For Sure” to streamline the often cumbersome Tatkal booking process.
