The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a petition seeking a comprehensive audit of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Tatkal ticket booking system, directing the petitioner to approach the appropriate High Court instead.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said, “Go to the High Court. You have raised a point. We had another writ petition which said Tatkal should not be there. Now, you are saying there is some issue with regard to the Tatkal website itself. Please go to the High Court.” The bench clarified that it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the plea.
The petition had urged the Centre to conduct a thorough technical audit of the Tatkal booking system to identify and rectify alleged technological flaws that result in the failure of genuine ticket bookings. Tatkal tickets, which are released a day prior to the date of travel, are limited in number and often booked within minutes of opening.
The plea further called for the implementation of enhanced cybersecurity protocols to prevent misuse of the system by unauthorised agents and touts, who reportedly use bots and illegal software to secure tickets, leaving genuine passengers at a disadvantage.
Additionally, the petitioner requested that the authorities be directed to submit a compliance report detailing the measures taken to prevent exploitation and ensure transparency in the Tatkal booking process.
With the Supreme Court declining to intervene, the matter is now expected to be taken up at the High Court level, should the petitioner choose to pursue the issue further.
