RPF Rescues Two Runaway Boys, Reunites Them with Families

Shivamogga: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) successfully rescued two runaway boys found loitering at Shivamogga Town and Harihara railway stations earlier this week. Both children were safely handed over to child welfare authorities and subsequently reunited with their families under the RPF’s child rescue initiative, Nanhe Farishte.

The first incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Shivamogga Town Railway Station. RPF personnel Y.J. Bhaskar, while monitoring CCTV surveillance, noticed a minor boy wandering on Platform No. 1. The boy, later identified as Karan, 12, son of Shivamurthy from Kadur in Chikkamagaluru district, admitted to leaving home without informing his parents and travelling from Kadur to Shivamogga.

The RPF immediately informed the District Child Protection Unit in Shivamogga. Karan was handed over to the Child Helpline Coordinator for counselling and safe restoration to his family.

In a separate case, RPF personnel Satyanarayan spotted another 12-year-old boy, Aditya, wandering suspiciously on Platform No. 1 at Harihara Railway Station around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Upon inquiry, Aditya, son of Ram Prashad Sharma from Bengaluru, revealed that he had run away from school due to personal reasons.

The RPF at Harihara promptly contacted Child Helpline (1098), and representatives of the Don Bosco Charitable Society, Davangere, provided counselling. Aditya was then handed over to the NGO for further care and eventual reunion with his family.

These rescues highlight the RPF’s commitment to child safety through its flagship initiative, Nanhe Farishte, which focuses on protecting vulnerable children at railway premises.