Bengaluru bound passenger claims TTE took money on personal UPI; probe begins one month later

Onkar S Gondahalli, a security guard from Kalaburagi, traveled from Nagpur to Bengaluru on the Hazrat Nizamuddin-KSR Bengaluru Rajdhani Express on June 16 without a confirmed ticket.

A TTE demanded Rs 2,500 for fare and penalty, which Gondahalli paid via UPI to the attendant's personal account; no receipt was issued.

After payment, the TTE disappeared, and catering staff demanded additional payment for food, water, and bed linen.

Gondahalli filed a complaint with the divisional railway manager in Bengaluru, and South Western Railway ordered an internal inquiry on July 29.