Mumbai News: Fake Ticketing Shock At Mahim Station As Civilian Caught Operating Government Counter; 4 Railway Officials Suspended

An unauthorized individual was caught red-handed operating a government ticket booking counter at Mahim Railway Station on the night of July 4, 2025. The incident took place at approximately 8:3 pm at Platform No. 1, Booking Counter No. 5, and has since raised major concerns regarding internal controls, oversight, and potential misuse of official authority within the Indian Railways.

The individual, identified as Vinod Tanaji Dabange, 36, a printer repair technician by profession residing in Om Sai Nagar, Pipeline Road, Pisavli, Kalyan (East), was discovered selling unreserved railway tickets without any official designation, documents, or authorisation. He was apprehended by a vigilant team consisting of Chief Vigilance Inspector Sandeep Golkar, Vigilance Inspectors Bhavik Dwivedi and Sanjay Sharma, RPF Head Constable Dinesh Goswami, and other RPF personnel.

Acting on prior intelligence, the Railway Vigilance team arrived at Mahim Station around 7:00 pm and began covertly monitoring activities at the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) counters. Upon observing irregularities, they entered the booking office along with the Station Master at 8:30 pm, only to find Dabange behind the counter issuing tickets, while the designated railway staff were found in a nearby room eating snacks.

Upon being questioned, Dabange stated that he had been called to the station by Chief Booking Supervisor Ganesh Patil, who allegedly instructed him to carry out ticketing work under his supervision. However, Dabange was unable to produce any official railway identification or documents to validate his presence or role at the counter.

A sum of Rs 2,650 was recovered from Dabange at the time, which was later deposited into the government treasury. Further examination of the counters also revealed discrepancies in cash balances, including an excess of Rs 34 at Window No. 5 and Rs 45 at Window No. 6, indicating procedural irregularities in cash handling.

The case was formally reported to the Dadar RPF Post, where Assistant Sub-Inspector Arvind Kumar received the joint memo, staff statements, and investigation report. Dabange was taken into custody by the vigilance team and handed over to the Railway Protection Force (RPF). He was booked under Section 147 of the Railway Act at 1:15 am on July 5 and subsequently released with a legal notice, directing him to appear before the Railway Court on July 7.

Following the incident, disciplinary action was initiated against four railway officials who were present during the breach in the booking office. These include Angad Devidas Dhawale, Chief Booking Supervisor (General); Ramashankar R., Chief Booking Supervisor and Evening In-Charge (Window No. 4); Ganesh Patil, Chief Booking Supervisor/Mahim (Window No. 5); and Vijay Devadiga, Chief Booking Clerk/Mahim (Window No. 6). All four officials were placed under immediate suspension pending a full departmental inquiry.

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Investigations have placed particular focus on Ganesh Patil’s role, as he is believed to have directly facilitated unauthorized access for Dabange to operate the government ticketing infrastructure. The Railway Vigilance Department is now conducting a deeper probe into the possibility of systemic lapses that might have allowed this breach to occur, including whether similar incidents have taken place at other stations.

Sources indicate that the incident has triggered serious concern across zonal railways, with senior railway officials calling for tighter enforcement of existing protocols, stricter monitoring of staff conduct at booking counters, and comprehensive audits of cash handling procedures. Additionally, railway unions and passenger rights groups have questioned the efficacy of current checks and balances, emphasizing the need for robust systems to prevent future security failures.

As investigations continue, authorities have assured commuters and the public that all individuals found guilty of negligence, collusion, or misconduct will face stringent disciplinary and legal consequences. “This incident serves as a critical reminder of the importance of maintaining transparency, accountability, and vigilance in public-facing government operations, particularly those involving financial transactions,” said a passenger activist.