Mumbai: In 8 months, Central Railway’s RPF reunites 858 kids with kin

RPF PI Rekha Mishra has rescued over 950 children

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Central Railway (CR) has rescued and reunited 858 children with their families between April and November 2023. According to the data provided by RPF, the Mumbai division within the Central Railway saw the highest number of children rescued at 252. The children have been rescued under a special operation called, ‘Operation Nanhe Farishtey'. The 858 children include 591 boys and 267 girls.

According to RPF Police Inspector (PI) Rekha Mishra, most of the children found on railway platforms enter cities by travelling in express trains. "We find children just sitting cluelessly on station platforms. They either leave their homes due to disputes in the family or with the aspiration to earn a living in the city," said Mishra, who is currently posted at Mulund RPF.

‘Work needs patience'

Mishra has rescued over 950 missing children and she now trains other officers. "I have clear instructions for officers who train under me - children found at railway stations should find safety again. Handling children needs more patience, we have to make them comfortable and gather information," Mishra said while explaining the process of rescuing children.

When the RPF spots a child at a station, they first take them to a safe place and then produce them in front of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). "Our first task is to understand how the child ended up at the particular railway station. Then we conduct a medical check-up and take the child to the CWC. The committee decides whether the child should be handed over to the guardians or should be kept in some other safe place. The work of tracing the child's guardians starts even before they are produced before the CWC," Mishra said.

Comforting distressed kids

"Most of the children we find are quite distressed due to family issues. Sometimes, they don't feel safe in their own homes. Hence, we first analyse whether the child is willing to return to their residence and then contact their family," Mishra said. In cases where children are not willing to return to their families, the decision about their rehabilitation is made by the CWC. In such cases, children are sent to shelter homes meant for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP).

The RPF then work on small leads to trace the family. Extracting details of children's lives involves creative work on the police's part. "Since such children face tremendous pressure, we make them comfortable by offering them food and playing with them. We try to come up with ways to distract them. When the child is comfortable enough, we ask them about their parents, school and place of residence. If we are lucky, the child gives their parents' phone number. If not, we have to depend on small leads to trace the family," said Mishra. When the family is traced, the RPF contacts the local police station and arranges for the child to be reunited with their guardians.

Children rescued (division-wise, April-November)

Mumbai: 252 children rescued
(157 boys; 95 girls)

Bhusaval: 238 children rescued
(148 boys; 90 girls)

Pune: 206 children rescued
(198 boys; 8 girls)

Nagpur: 111 children rescued
(58 boys; 53 girls)

Solapur: 51 children rescued
(30 boys; 21 girls)

By RPF on CR