Bihar Minister for Rural Development Awadh Bihari Choudhury and four others, including his two bodyguards, were on Monday caught travelling without tickets in a train at the Hajipur railway station in Vaishali district, a railway official said.

The Assistant Commercial Manager, Sonepur division, East Central Railway, N K Singh said Choudhury was in the AC first class coach of the 2553 Barauni-New Delhi Vaishali Express.

He was on his way to Siwan.

Choudhury paid Rs 870 towards the fare from Hajipur to Siwan and Rs 542 as penalty to allow his travel, he said.

The minister's two bodyguards and two supporters too were fined for travelling by the AC sleeper coach without tickets.

Singh said the railway authorities had launched a drive against free-trippers and arrested around 150 offenders.