Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation [IRCTC] — non refund of cancelled e-tickets - pnr [protected] & pnr [protected]

Address:	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695014
Website:	www.irctc.co.in

I have booked tickets for me and my father on 24.05.2018 in train number 22634 / NZM TVC- SF EXP with date of journey - 22.06.2018, under third A/C (PNR [protected]- with W/L 16 & 17) as well as sleeper class (PNR [protected] with W/L 26 & 27), through IRCTC e- Ticket service, hoping that once any of these tickets is confirmed, the other ticket can be cancelled. We have been monitoring the ticket status, almost every day. Even one week
before the scheduled date the status show WL/12 & W/L 13 under PNR [protected] and RAC/54 & RAC/55 under PNR [protected], thereafter it remained unchanged. Even after reaching Delhi on 21.06.2018, we found our booking status more or less the same. So to avoid any risk of being entangled in Delhi, we have booked the return air ticket on 21.06.2018 after checking the railway status as non-confirmed tickets and hoping that the railways will automatically refund the money to me, as we were still not given a confirmed ticket. Even at 7.20 pm in the evening, on the scheduled day of departure of the train, i.e. on 22.06.2018, we have checked the status from a wayside IRCTC service counter at Delhi and the seats still remained unconfirmed. At that time, we are traveling to our hotel after visiting a nearby Hanuman temple. But on reaching our hotel room, at around 8 .20 pm, we noticed a sms from IRCTC confirming both our tickets in Third A/C as well as in Sleeper class, simultaneously, send by them at 7.39pm on 22.06.2018 . On noticing it, I have immediately tried to cancel both the tickets, but due to temporary nonavailability of internet, I could able to send my cancellation message at around 8.45pm only. Now the IRCTC has given me the message that the tickets are cancelled with no refund of money. It was a rude shock to me for the following reasons.
(1) I have booked the ticket as early as 24.05.2018, but the railways could not confirm my ticket till 04 hrs before the scheduled journey, keeping me tensed throughout these 29 days after booking the tickets and I am forced to take, air ticket just one day before my return journey, out of sheer frustration.

(2) Finally the railways has confirmed my ticket within 04 hrs before the scheduled departure of the train and though I have cancelled the tickets, immediately, ie within one hour after getting the confirmation message, barely 20 minutes after me noticing the message and well 03 hrs, before the scheduled departure of the train, IRCTC have not refunded the amount. Kindly note that, the railways not given me even a small window time, to think about the cancellation and effect the cancellation request, still I managed to send the cancel request, immediately.

(3) I have cancelled the tickets, 03 hrs before the departure of the train and there were a lot of customers at RAC and WL, waiting for a confirmed ticket for both the tickets ( 3 rd AC and Sleeper class) and the railways have transferred my cancelled seats to them after collecting full amount from them also. It amounts to double profiteering by a public service department, which is illegal and unjust.

So, I earnestly request you to immediately refund the full ticket charges towards cancellation tickets under PNR [protected]and PNR [protected], at the earliest.