2 held for travelling on Soren, Marandi's ticket

Lucknow, Sep 19 (UNI) After Uttar Pradesh Haj Minister Haji Yakub Qureshi, it was the turn of Union Coal Minister Shibu Soren's wife to face the wrath of a Railways vigilance team for allowing someone else to travel on a ticket booked in her husband's name.

A Railways vigilance team, which boarded the New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express at Kanpur last night, found two people were travelling on tickets booked in the name of Mr Soren and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi.

While Ms Soren was travelling on her ticket, she faced the wrath of the Railways authorities for allowing someone else to travel on her husband's ticket.

Meanwhile, GRP sources claimed one of those found impersonating was Mr Soren's son. A seat was reserved in the name of Mr Marandi's wife but was not occupied.

The defaulters were fined a total of Rs 14,332.

On Saturday morning, Uttar Pradesh Haj minister Haji Yakub Qureshi was caught along with three supporters travelling ticketless on board the Delhi-Lucknow Mail.

The minister was fined Rs 14,000 at the Alamnagar railway station in the state capital.

While the minister told reporters he had a valid ticket and was being harassed due to a ''political conspiracy''. ''I am writing to the union government...I will disclose the names of people harassing me later,'' he added.

GRP said the Lucknow Mail was stopped at Alamnagar, just before its terminating station (Charbagh) and Railway and GRP officials ''raided'' the AC I compartment.

They claimed the minister and his supporters were creating a ruckus on board the train from the time the ticketing staff asked for tickets. The minister had boarded the train at Hapur (UP).

UNI NAB/MB AK HT1550