RPF stops all child rescuing operations at railway stations in Pune division
As per the data provided by the RPF, there were a total of 258 cases registered under the rescue operation from January to October last year, involving children who either ran away from home or got lost
There have been no reported instances of rescuing and reuniting minor children with their parents at Pune station and other railway stations within the Pune division. (Representational/ File) After the incident that took place in September last year, where a Railway Protection Force constable was allegedly found involved in running illegal activities under the pretext of an NGO shelter for needy people, the RPF across Pune division has halted child rescuing operations at stations.
Over the past three months, the Pune division of RPF has not recorded any incidents of rescuing runaway children at stations. From November last year to January this year, the RPF has shut down the rescuing activities.
There have been no reported instances of rescuing and reuniting minor children with their parents at Pune station and other railway stations within the Pune division.
As per the data provided by the RPF, there were a total of 258 cases registered under the rescue operation from January to October last year, involving children who either ran away from home or got lost. Among them, 246 were boys, and 12 were girls.
Despite the statement made by the then inspector of RPF Pune, BS Raghuwanshi to The Indian Express in July last year, highlighting the importance of the rescue operation for missing children and the formation of the Savitribai Phule squad with women constables, the current RPF inspector at Pune station, Sunil Yadav, has confirmed that the squad is currently inactive.
Jyoti Mani, the Divisional Security Commissioner of Pune division, mentioned a shift in their approach, stating that they previously operated through the Child Welfare Committee and SOP protocol, but now they are handing over the responsibility of handling children to the GRP.
“As per the laid down procedure, if we observe someone loitering around the station and platforms, we hand them over to the Government Railway Police for further action,” he said.
Mani added that the RPF is presently working on coordinating with the government-approved agency, SATHI, which became inactive following the government’s directive to close down CHILDLINE 1098 in railway stations in October last year. He said that the NGO will soon resume its operations in the coming few days.
NGO SATHI was working in coordination with the RPF and GRP to conduct an operation in search of missing and runaway children. After tracing and rescuing, children were sent to the shelter homes of different NGOs. All such procedures were performed in the presence and order of the Child Welfare Committee and SOP protocols.
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