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Railways Act, 1989 · Chapter XV: Penalties and Offences

Section 137: Fraudulently travelling or attempting to travel without proper pass or ticket

(1) If any person, with intent to defraud a railway administration,—

(a) enters or remains in any carriage on a railway or travels in a train in contravention of section 55, or

(b) uses or attempts to use a single pass or a single ticket which has already been used on a previous journey, or in the case of a return ticket, a half thereof which has already been so used, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both:

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 a fine of five hundred rupees.

(2) The person referred to in sub-section (1) shall also be liable to pay the excess charge mentioned in sub-section (3) in addition to the ordinary single fare for the distance which he has travelled, or where there is any doubt as to the station from which he started, the ordinary single fare from the station from which the train originally started, or if the tickets of passengers travelling in the train have been examined since the original starting of the train, the ordinary single fare from the place where the tickets were so examined or, in case of their having been examined more than once, were last examined.

(3) The excess charge referred to in sub-section (2) shall be a sum equal to the ordinary single fare referred to in that sub-section or [two hundred and fifty rupees], whichever is more.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 65 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1960), the court convicting an offender may direct that the person in default of payment of any fine inflicted by the court shall suffer imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months.

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 14 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 137

  • Manik & Ors. v. The State of Maharashtra
    2024 INSC 73425 September 2024In view of the divergent of opinion, the appeal

    Appellants-convicts are members of the police force and the allegation against them is misuse and abuse of their powers, in resorting to custodial torture of victim-S and tampering with evidence.