Section 143 of RA, 1989 : Section 143: Penalty For Unauthorised Carrying On Of Business Of Procuring And Supplying Of Railway Tickets

Explanation using Example

Imagine John, who is not an employee of the railways or an authorized agent, decides to make some extra money by buying train tickets in bulk. He then resells these tickets at a higher price to people who are desperate to travel during the peak season when tickets are hard to come by. One day, while John is selling these tickets, he is caught by the railway authorities.

In this scenario, John has violated Section 143 of The Railways Act, 1989, as he is neither a railway servant nor an authorised agent, but is engaged in the business of selling tickets for profit. Consequently, John could face a penalty which may include imprisonment for up to three years, a fine up to ten thousand rupees, or both. Moreover, the court is inclined to impose a minimum sentence of one month of imprisonment or a fine of five thousand rupees unless there are special reasons not to do so.

Additionally, if John had a friend, Alex, who encouraged and helped him in this ticket scalping business, Alex could also be charged with abetment under the same section and face similar penalties, even if the actual sale of tickets was not completed by Alex himself.