Railway Protection Force personnel checking passengers and luggage at Mangaluru Central Railway Station.

| Photo Credit: MANJUNATH HS

The Railway Protection Force (RPF), which is entrusted with the task of safeguarding railway property, passenger areas, and the well-being of travellers, has helped 49 children reunite with their parents during the month of May.According to South Western Railway (SWR), under Operation ‘NanheFaristheh’ - Rescuing Lost Children, RPF SWR played a pivotal role in rescue of 49 children (37 boys, 12 girls). . RPF rescued them and facilitated their reunion with their families with help of non-governmental organisations and the police.Under ‘Operation Dignity’, four elderly persons (3 male, 1 female) in need of care and protection were rescued, and handed over to their families after due verification.Under the women centric ‘Meri Saheli’ Initiative, RPF personnel ensured safe travel for single and unaccompanied female passengers. Presently, 32 Splecial, Mail and Express trains are covered under this initiative.Intensive checks were conducted at various travel agencies and locations across Karnataka and Goa as part of Operation ‘Uplabdh’ (cracking down on touts) to ensure fair availability of train tickets to genuine passengers and to curb black marketing. During these operation, 37 touts were arrested in 36 cases under Section 143 of the Railways Act. A total of 49 live tickets valued at ₹1,53,,620 and 263 used tickets worth ₹4,65,968 were seized.Under Operation Satark, RPF detected 7 liquor cases, recovering 1,458 bottles (1309litres), consignments worth ₹83,31,457, and handed over the same to the Excise Department.Under Operation Narco, eight cases were detected, resulting in the seizure of 37 kg of ganja valued at ₹33.80 lakh, and 20 cartons containing 1,99,600 cigarette sticks of Korean brand valued ₹30 lakh.On 63 occasions, RPF personnel recovered items misplaced or left behind by passengers, such as laptops, mobile phones, ornaments, and other personal belongings valued at ₹50.34 lakh, and returned to the rightful owners.The General Manager of SWR P. Ananth has lauded the work done by the RPF. Published - June 05, 2026 11:59 am IST