Rail-fare row involving minister's in-laws

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Rail minister in-laws in fare row

The parents-in-law of the Indian Railways Minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, have been caught travelling on a train in the state of Bihar without tickets.

The couple - both in their seventies - told an inspector checking tickets in their first-class carriage that they "never travelled with tickets".

They were travelling from Harijur in Bihar to the town of Siwan.

Railway staff tried to eject them from the train after the ticket inspection, but the couple refused to be removed.

Corruption allegations

The BBC's Alok Kumar who witnessed the incident said that the elderly couple appeared confused about the need to have tickets.

Our correspondent says that they repeatedly pointed out to the ticket inspector from East Central Railways that they had been put on the train personally by the station master at Haripur.

They said that there was "no need" for them to carry tickets.

Shiv Prasad Choudhary and his wife are the parents of former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, who is the wife of Mr Prasad.

Mr Prasad was instrumental in getting his wife the chief minister's position after he was banned from holding the post because of corruption allegations.

Correspondents say that it is unclear what punishment - if any - the couple will face for the incident, which will be an embarrassment for Mr Yadav.

However railway sources said they will be fined in accordance with the rules and issued with "retrospective tickets" in order to legalise their journey.

Laloo Prasad Yadav is one of India's most colourful politicians. He leads an influential regional party in Bihar that is allied with the Congress Party in India's national parliament.

Notes:

• In CF Yadav's case, the corruption is factual, not alleged
  
• Ticketless travel (especially by "connecteds" such as Choudhary) is considered a "minor" crime in Bihar (where more than 45% of all crimes in India are committed--by only 8% of India's population)