The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested a man hailing from West Bengal, who was involved in illegal sale of train tickets at Podanur railway station in Coimbatore.

The arrested has been identified as Imran Hossain Sekh, 37, a native of Bhagabatipur in Hooghly district, who had been residing at M.G.N. Street in the city.

RPF sub-inspector P. Manikandan and his team conducted a check around the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) centre at Podanur railway station on Wednesday afternoon. They frisked Sekh, who was found in suspicious circumstances near the main portico of the railway station.

A statement from RPF said Sekh was found carrying three live PRS counter tickets valued ₹26,230 and five unfilled reservation forms. His mobile phone contained images of numerous journey-expired PRS counter tickets, including 10 recently booked and sold tickets valued ₹85,065.

When questioned, he confessed to having been booking railway tickets at PRS centres at Podanur, Coimbatore, Coimbatore North, Peelamedu, Mettupalayam and Ottapalam railway stations and selling them to passengers for a margin of ₹300.

The RPF registered a case against Sekh under Section 143(1)(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) of the Railways Act, 1989.

The accused, along with the seized properties, was produced before the First Judicial Magistrate Court on Thursday. The court remanded him in judicial custody till June 5.