Eastern Railway RPF saves 13 children from human traffickers

Kolkata: Since November 1, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has rescued 13 children from human traffickers within the Eastern Railway (ER) jurisdiction.

Officials noted that many of the children, often from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, were lured into trafficking networks through social media platforms. After engaging with the minors travelling alone, RPF officers discovered that often under duress these children conceal their ages and claimed to be travelling to cities like Mumbai for jobs in sectors such as catering or beauty parlours. However, investigations frequently revealed these stories to be false. One recent operation highlighted a particularly alarming case. ER shared that a young girl confessed that she was tricked into believing that she was being taken to Mumbai for a better life. Further investigations by the RPF revealed she was one of six women being trafficked, leading to the rescue of five other women and the apprehension of three traffickers.

A case has been filed against the traffickers under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Juvenile Justice Act and the Child Labour (Prohibition) Act.