A man posing as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) was arrested at Rampurhat railway station in Birbhum district, West Bengal, by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the early hours of Wednesday, 16 July 2025. The accused, identified as Aryadeep Saha, a resident of North 24 Parganas, had reportedly used Gemini AI tools to fabricate counterfeit railway identity documents — marking one of the first documented cases of AI-generated fake credentials being used to impersonate a government railway employee.

How the Arrest Unfolded

An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the RPF was patrolling Platform 1 of Rampurhat station at around 3:15 am when he noticed Saha behaving suspiciously. When confronted, Saha confidently claimed to be an active TTE under the Sealdah Division and produced a laminated Railway ID card. The ASI, however, spotted inconsistencies on the card and escorted Saha to the office of the Chief Ticket Inspector (CTI) for verification.

Saha initially maintained his cover, but broke down under sustained interrogation. He admitted he had boarded the Gour Express (13153 UP) from Sealdah while posing as an on-duty TTE, before de-boarding at Rampurhat.

AI-Forged Documents and Seized Items

A search of Saha's belongings revealed what officials described as a 'digital-age deception toolkit.' Seized items included two counterfeit Railway ID cards — one identifying him as a Ticket Collector (TC) and another as a TTE — a forged Ticket Checking Authority letter, two ATM cards, a money bag with cash, and a 5G smartphone containing photographs of him actively checking tickets at various stations.

According to a senior Eastern Railway (ER) official, Saha confessed to using advanced Gemini AI tools to design and produce the highly convincing fake documents. RPF officials conducted a videographed seizure of all incriminating items before confirming with Sealdah and Howrah headquarters that no such TTE existed on their payrolls. The accused and all seized articles were subsequently handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Sainthia for legal action.

Part of a Broader Pattern

Eastern Railway officials confirmed this was not the first time Saha had impersonated a railway employee. Investigators are now probing whether he operated as part of a larger racket targeting passengers, and are working to determine the total amount of money he may have collected from commuters.

This incident comes amid a broader crackdown on fake recruitment rackets on Indian Railways, some of which have involved retired railway staff issuing counterfeit joining letters to unsuspecting candidates after collecting lakhs of rupees. ER has since increased vigilance at stations and on trains, with personnel directed to question anyone acting suspiciously.

Railway's Advisory to Passengers

Shibram Majhi, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Eastern Railway, urged passengers to remain alert. 'Our security wings are deeply committed to ensuring safe and authentic travel experiences across all networks,' Majhi said. 'We urge passengers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious ticket checking activities immediately through official helpline channels.'

Officials also cautioned passengers against attempting to bribe railway staff to avoid penalties, noting that impostors like Saha exploit such situations, ultimately leaving passengers as the biggest losers. Authorities are still assessing the full financial impact of Saha's activities.