Central Railway RPF Rescues 235 Children Under Operation 'Nanhe Farishte', Reunites Them With Families

Mumbai: Central Railway RPF, in collaboration with the Government Railway Police (GRP), railway staff, and child welfare NGOs like Child helpline, successfully rescued and reunited 235 children with their families during April–May 2025. This represents a significant 58% increase from the 149 children rescued in the same period last year.

The division-wise breakdown reveals consistent growth in rescue efforts across all zones. Mumbai division reported 53 rescues compared to 52 in 2024, while Bhusaval saw a rise from 45 to 62. Nagpur recorded 61 rescues, up from 36 last year, and Pune showed the most dramatic improvement with 51 children rescued, a major leap from just 10 in 2024. Solapur, too, saw an increase from 6 to 8 children reunited with their families.

According to officials, most of the rescued children had run away from home due to reasons such as family disputes, the lure of city life, or personal distress.

"Trained RPF personnel played a vital role in recognizing signs of vulnerability, building trust, and counseling the children before ensuring their safe return. Many families expressed deep gratitude for the timely intervention and support provided by the RPF teams" said an official.

12 Lives Saved Under Operation Jeevan Raksha

Meanwhile, under the life-saving drive Operation Jeevan Raksha, RPF personnel saved 12 lives — including 9 males and 3 females — over the same two-month period.

This marks an improvement from the 7 lives saved (5 males and 2 females) in April–May 2024. Most of these incidents involved passengers in dangerous situations while attempting to board or jump off moving trains.