HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 21: The railway protection force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) successfully rescued 16 minors during its ongoing checking drives conducted from April 13 to 19 at different trains and railway stations.
During the period of 2023-24, 654 minors comprising of 409 boys and 245 girls and 69 women were rescued by RPF in coordination with the government railway police (GRP), Childline and NGOs. The rescued children and women were handed over to respective Childline, NGOs and GRP for further legal proceedings.
Also, during the same period a total of 12 human traffickers were arrested and 32 persons including 25 minor boys, four minor girls, two males and one female were rescued from them.
In an incident of on April 18, RPF team of Katihar, rescued three destitute minor boys at the Katihar railway station. Later, the rescued minors were handed over to their respective parents after proper verification. On April 16, RPF team of Chaparmukh, while conducting check in train the Deoghar – Agartala Express at the Chaparmukh Station rescued one runaway minor girl. Later, she was handed over to the Child Welfare Committee of Nagaon for safe custody.
Preventive measures are being taken to take action in case of children in need of care and protection, who are found in trains and railway premises. RPF carries on a relentless fight against criminals in protecting railway passengers, remains vigilant for suspected persons involved in human trafficking as well as the movement of children in a suspicious manner, travelling alone, without proper guardian etc.