‘RPF rescued 454 children in 2022, keeping eye on human trafficking gangs’

During the last 35 days, RPF teams rescued 454 such children from railway stations and trains in North Central Railway’s Prayagraj Division.

Under operation ‘Bachpan’, Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued 454 children from railway stations and trains during the last one year in Prayagraj Division. Counselling of such children revealed that most of them left their homes on their own for various reasons including after being scolded by their parents. Besides rescuing children, the RPF is also keeping an eye on gangs and individuals involved in child and human trafficking through trains. Human trafficking gangs are usually active in the Eastern states and use the Prayagraj division as a transit route, officials said.

All the rescued children are between the ages of 5 and 16 years. Among the 454 children rescued in the year 2022, 90 were girls. (FOR REPRESENTATION )

RPF records show that there has been a surge in cases of children fleeing their homes for different reasons including being lured by someone, drug addiction, being scolded by parents or a desire to earn money in big cities. During the last 35 days, RPF teams rescued 454 such children from railway stations and trains in North Central Railway’s Prayagraj Division. RPF officials take custody of these children and reunited many of them with their families. Around 125 of them were handed over to Childline or Child Welfare Society while some were also sent to child shelters or girl shelters. They will also be handed over to their parents once they are traced, RPF officials said.

All the rescued children are between the ages of 5 and 16 years. Among the 454 children rescued in the year 2022, 90 were girls. In the year 2021, RPF rescued 35 children while the number was 297 in the year 2020. It is worth mentioning that RPF has launched a series of drives including Operation Smile, Dignity and Bachpan.

Senior divisional security commissioner of RPF (Prayagraj Division) Vijay Prakash Pandit said besides rescuing children, an anti-human trafficking unit has been constituted at all RPF police stations. Children are usually trafficked from Eastern states to Western regions. The anti-human trafficking unit keeps an eye on the trains and rescues children. Training is also being given to unit members on how to identify traffickers and rescue children. A woman was arrested in Kanpur who was trafficking 21 children for forced labour. On her confession more members of the gang were arrested in Bihar, he added.