Crime against women in trains in SER zone nil this year: IG RPF

Kolkata:  Crime against women in trains in South Eastern Railway zone was nil till date this year owing to active policing by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) under the ‘My Saheli’ project, Inspector General-cum-Principal Chief Security Commissioner D B Kasar said.

He said that under the ‘Nanhe Farishteh’ phase-II programme, which was started for rescue, rehabilitation of children and apprehension of traffickers, the RPF in the SER zone have rescued 743 minor boys and girls.

”The team for My Saheli constitute exclusively ladies staff with two male armed personnel under the leadership of lady sub-inspectors,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

The lady officers and staff interact with women passengers briefing them about precautions to be taken during journey and obtain their journey details, which are uploaded on Google Sheet and shared with all the divisions and other zones falling on the route of the train for live monitoring.

At the destination station, teams of My Saheli obtain feedback from the passengers, he said.

”Due to this operation, crime against women was nil in the year 2022,” Kasar said.

He said that 19 traffickers were arrested and 743 children were rescued by RPF in the SER zone from April 2021 to January 2022.

Out of these rescued boys and girls, 221 were handed over to their families and 552 to child welfare centres.

During the period, the RPF also recovered narcotics worth Rs 26.39 lakhs and arrested 28 persons in connection with 27 such cases, the IG said.