NGO Sathi Foundation recently said it has rescued 191 runaway children from the Pune railway division alone in the last six months. Among the 191 rescued children, 187 were boys and four were girls. Talking about the issue, Sathi ChildLine Coordinator Rajveer Singh said they also run a weekly awareness campaign at Pune railway station to spread awareness on cases of runaway children and CHILDLINE (1098) services. “We work according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Juvenile Justice system. Our counsellors have got at least a postgraduate degree in social work,” said Singh. “It was noticed that last year most missing children were from Maharashtra but in this financial year, we rescued more children from UP and Bihar,” added the coordinator. A woman GRP (Government Railway Police) havildar at Pune Railway station said, “Two women havildars have been deputed to identify vulnerable children at the station. After identifying such children, we hand them over to the CHILDLINE and provide them with shelter, medical treatment, and food.” Pune RPF (Railway Protection Force) Inspector B S Raghuwanshi gave several reasons for children running away from their homes. “Some are lured by the city, some run away from their homes, and some are abused and trafficked for begging at the station. “We observe their behaviour and body gestures, and zero in on children who seem to be under some kind of pressure,” said the inspector. Raghuwanshi said that as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, a total of 244 children were rescued at the Pune railway station last year, out of which 206 were boys and 38 were girls. “Currently, till June 30, we have seen 177 such cases,” he added. The inspector said that the RPF has formed a Savitri Bai Phule squad consisting of women constables to keep a vigil on vulnerable children.
