Penalty for unauthorised carrying on of business of procuring and supplying of railway tickets
Section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989 deals with penalty for unauthorised carrying on of business of procuring and supplying of railway tickets. If any person, not being a railway servant or an agent authorised in this behalf,-- (a) carries on the business of procuring and supplying tickets for travel on a railway or for reserved accommodation for journey in a train; The Act came into force on 01 Jul 1990.
(1) If any person, not being a railway servant or an agent authorised in this behalf,--
(a) carries on the business of procuring and supplying tickets for travel on a railway or for reserved accommodation for journey in a train; or
(b) purchases or sells or attempts to purchase or sell tickets with a view to carrying on any such business either by himself or by any other person, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both, and shall also forfeit the tickets which he so procures, supplies, purchases, sells or attempts to purchase or sell:
Provided that in the absence of special and adequate reasons to the contrary to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, such punishment shall not be less than imprisonment for a term of one month or a fine of five thousand rupees.
(2) Whoever abets any offence punishable under this section shall, whether or not such offence is committed, be punishable with the same punishment as is provided for the offence.
Section 143, The Railways Act, 1989 (Act 24 of 1989).
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
-
State vs Yashsvi Somvanshi
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Conviction cannot be based solely on a confession made to RPF officers when the investigation is admitted to be biased and corroborative material (like witness testimony or bank records) is absent.
On this section: Unauthorized carrying on of business of procuring and supplying of railway tickets.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 143
What have the courts held on Section 143 of the Railways Act?
State vs Yashsvi Somvanshi (21 Apr 2026) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Unauthorized carrying on of business of procuring and supplying of railway tickets.
How do I find court cases under Section 143 of the Railways Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Railways Act 1989 143, section 143 Railways Act 1989, section 143 of the Railways Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with State vs Yashsvi Somvanshi (21 Apr 2026).
When did Section 143 of the Railways Act come into force?
Section 143 of the Railways Act, cited as Railways Act 1989 143, came into force on 01 Jul 1990, having been enacted on 03 Jun 1989. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions1289 words
- 90. Disposal of unremoved goods at notified stations852 words
- 20F. Determination of amount payable as compensation652 words
- 89. Power to declare notified stations529 words
- 138. Levy of excess charge and fare for travelling without proper pass or ticket or beyond authorised distance492 words
- 16. Accommodation works485 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.