RPF rescues kids, nabs touts, seizes ganja in Feb

Hubballi: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of South Western Railway (SWR) recorded several key achievements across multiple operations in Feb 2026.Under mission Nanhe Faristheh, the RPF reunited 51 children, including 12 girls, with their families. These children had been separated from their families for various reasons. Under Operation Dignity, an elderly woman was rescued and handed over to her family after due verification. Through the Meri Saheli initiative, RPF personnel ensured the safe travel of single and unaccompanied women passengers by sharing their seat and berth details with station teams for real-time monitoring. Feedback was collected at destination stations, and 32 trains are currently covered under this programme.As part of Operation Uplabdh, intensive checks were conducted at travel agencies and other locations across Karnataka and Goa to crack down on touting. RPF arrested 23 touts in 23 cases under Section 143 of the Railways Act. During these drives, officers seized 48 live tickets worth Rs 77,804 and 65 used tickets worth Rs 97,496.Under Operation Satark, RPF detected seven liquor cases, seizing 142 bottles (about 100 litres) valued at Rs 63,346, which were handed over to the excise department. In Operation Narco, the force detected seven cases, seized 57kg of ganja worth ₹2.7 lakh, and arrested three offenders, who were handed over to Railway Police/excise authorities for further action.RPF personnel also recovered passengers' misplaced belongings—such as laptops, mobile phones, jewellery, and other valuables—on 58 occasions, returning items worth Rs 44.8 lakh to their rightful owners. Additionally, an average of 32–35 express and special trains were escorted daily by 90–95 RPF personnel, ensuring passenger safety round the clock. The force registered three cases of railway property theft, arrested seven offenders, and recovered stolen property worth Rs 38,458.Additional general manager P Ananth congratulated the RPF staff for their efforts and achievements.