The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Central Railway has rescued 958 children, including 655 boys and 303 girls, from various railway stations and trains in the last 10 months, under the initiative called ‘Operation Nanhe Farishte’.
According to a press statement issued by Central Railway, the RPF personnel, in coordination with the Government Railway Police (GRP) and other frontline railway staff, identified and rescued the children who were found alone, lost, abandoned, kidnapped, trafficked, or runaway from their homes.
The rescued children were handed over to their parents, guardians, or NGOs after proper verification and documentation. Some of the children were also reunited with their families with the help of Childline India Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that works for the protection of children in distress.
The press statement said that the RPF of Central Railway has been conducting ‘Operation Nanhe Farishte’ since April 2023, as part of its commitment to ensure the security of railway property, passenger area and passengers, especially women and children.
The RPF also appealed to the public to inform them about any suspicious or vulnerable children seen at railway premises or trains, by dialling 182 or 1098, the helpline numbers of RPF and Childline respectively.
