(1) If any person not being a railway servant or an agent authorised in this behalf
(a) sells or attempts to sell any ticket or any half of a return ticket; or
(b) parts or attempts to part with the possession of a ticket against which reservation of a seat or berth has been made or any half of a return ticket or a season ticket, in order to enable any other person to travel therewith, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both, and shall also forfeit the ticket which he sells or attempts to sell or parts or attempts to part.
(2) If any person purchases any ticket referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (1) or obtains the possession of any ticket referred to in clause (b) of that sub-section from any person other than a railway servant or an agent authorised in this behalf, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months and with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees and if the purchaser or holder of any ticket aforesaid travels or attempts to travel therewith, he shall forfeit the ticket which he so purchased or obtained and shall be deemed to be travelling without a proper ticket and shall be liable to be dealt with under section 138:
Provided that in the absence of special and adequate reasons to the contrary to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, the punishment under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall not be less than a fine of two hundred and fifty rupees.