Railway Protection Force rescued 2,200 minors in distress in two months | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: More than 2,200 minors, 68% of them boys, were rescued by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Central Railways in the first two months of this year as part of their campaign ‘Operation Nanhe Farishte.’
Among these kids are runaways and those lost or separated from their families. The rescues were carried out in coordination with various non-profit groups.
“Children in distress are vulnerable for exploitation or trafficking. Once a child is exploited, no measure of rehabilitation, however effective, can completely obliterate the scars on his or her psyche. The RPF is positioned strategically to secure a child before he or she falls into wrong hands,” said a statement issued by CR.
Besides rescuing children in distress, the RPF also saved lives of 114 passengers who were at the risk of suffering serious injury while trying to board or alight moving trains. As part of ‘Operation Matri Shakti’, female RPF personnel, who form 9% of the force at present, went out of their way to help pregnant passengers who had gone into labour during their railway journey. Sixteen such instances were reported in the first two months of 2022.
“Several passengers accidentally leave behind belongings in their rush to board a train or leave the station. Our personnel secured and returned such belongings valued at Rs 5.74 crore to rightful owners in January and February 2022,” said an officer.
The RPF also cracked a whip on drug peddling and seized narcotics worth Rs 3.82 crore, arresting 248 individuals in the first two months of the year.