CHENNAI: A week after sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted surprise checks in Express trains, the number of applications seeking release of train tickets through the emergency quota has come down, said sources at the investigative agency.Special teams from the anti-corruption branch of CBI had conducted checks in seven express trains on the night of August 19, following allegations of various irregularities, including on the release of emergency quota. A CBI source told Express that the number of applications received by the Railways for EQ clearances had reduced considerably since the raids. “Earlier they had at least 50 applications for each train. Now, it has come down to around 10,” a CBI official said.An official also revealed that some passengers get EQ clearances via members of the railway union. “We found that even civil servants, including IAS officers, get EQ cleared through the railway unions, although they can get it cleared by approaching the railway authorities directly. At least 20 per cent of tickets are cleared by the unions. It has become an unwritten rule that union members can get tickets cleared,” an official said.The special teams had enquired with passengers and found that most tickets got through EQ by agents.The officials have identified the agents involved, a source said. “Investigation is a long process and will take some time. We had received a few complaints earlier on malpractice in EQ clearance but more than that we ourselves have been passengers and have seen it,” he added.
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