Every day, as many as seven children on an average are rescued from the clutches of traffickers at various railway stations in Delhi, according to senior railway officers in the Delhi Division.
In 2016-2017, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued 2,582 kids, who were then reunited with their families with the help of local police or NGOs. Senior officers said most of these kids ran away from home on their own but later landed in the traffickers' trap.
On Sunday, a 15-year-old girl who had gone missing from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh was rescued by the RPF after being spotted with a suspicious man on a Delhi-bound train. As soon as the alert was conveyed to the RPF unit at the Old Delhi railway station, security personnel were deployed.
After nearly an hour of combing, the girl was located. The man, however, managed to flee. "The girl was handed over to an NGO for rehabilitation. A team led by Inspector VM Tripath is attempting to trace the man," a senior RPF officer said.
Just one day later on Monday, a 17-year-old girl who had fled from her home was caught in Delhi. Her family members were later informed by the police.
"In many cases, traffickers lure these kids, who are then transported either to border areas of the country or to far-off villages, where they are deployed as labourers," the officer said. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Arun Arora said they carry out regular drives to ensure that no suspect manages to escape. "Our efforts have reduced the number of trafficking cases to minimal. Regular patrolling along the line and railway stations is ensured and watch is kept on any child in the vicinity," he said.
Meanwhile, in 2016-2017, more than 4,000 ticketless passengers were caught every day within the Delhi Division, and a fine of over Rs 34 crore was imposed on them.
"Besides, 70,000 people were fined for violating cleanliness norms, and Rs 77 lakh was collected in this period. Apart from this, 1.89 lakh people were arrested for either travelling in ladies coaches, pulling chain or touting," the DRM said.
