Kolkata, February 19 – The Railway Police Force (RPF) of Malda Division in West Bengal has rescued two minor children and arrested one suspect during an anti-illegal ticketing operation, an official statement said on Thursday.
Under "Operation Nanhe Farishte" and based on information received about two minor children travelling on Train No. 13175 (Kanchanjunga Express), RPF teams conducted checks on Wednesday.
During the inspection of the general coaches towards the rear of the train, the two minor children were found travelling alone without valid tickets. When questioned, they revealed that they had left their homes due to personal reasons. Concerned for their safety and well-being, the minors were taken into protective custody, and after completing the necessary formalities, they were handed over to the Child Help Line at Malda Town Railway Station for further care and action as per established procedure. Their family members were also informed, the RPF said.
Meanwhile, in another operation conducted on the same day at the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter of Malda Town Railway Station, under a special ticket checking and anti-illegal ticketing drive by Indian Railways, one person was arrested for unauthorized possession and sale of railway reservation tickets.
During the search, several valid Railway reservation tickets (both counter and e-tickets), passenger details, a blank railway reservation requisition form, one mobile handset containing multiple personal user IDs used for generating e-tickets, and cash amounting to Rs 3,700 were seized. The total value of the seized tickets was Rs 8,394. The arrested person, along with the seized items, was handed over to the relevant RPF post for further legal action as per rules.
According to the RPF statement, these coordinated actions reflect the continued vigilance and firm commitment of Malda Division's RPF towards ensuring child safety, preventing illegal activities, and maintaining a safe and secure railway environment for passengers.
It further stated that, under the guidance of Divisional Railway Manager, Manish Kumar Gupta, continuous surveillance and regular checking drives are conducted daily across the railway division to curb crime and ensure passenger safety, and that a special operation was carried out at Malda Town Railway Station on Wednesday, under the supervision of Divisional Security Commissioner, Malda, Ashim Kumar Kullu.