Kolkata: More than 800 children were rescued from the Eastern Railway’s Howrah division in the past eight months, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer said.The children were rescued mostly from Howrah station. “We have rescued 824 children, including 477 boys and 347 girls,” said the RPF officer.The officer said the rescued children include those who were about to be trafficked, those who left home after a spat with parents, some who left home in pursuit of a romantic relationship and some who were separated from family members during travel.The RPF reunites the children with their families, wherever possible.“We have also rescued 35 children between Jan and Aug, who were about to be trafficked. Nine persons were arrested by the anti-trafficking unit,” said the officer.RPF sources said they experienced that cases were increasingly being witnessed, involving children below 18 years of age.“Howrah is an important railway station. It sees trains arriving from various destinations and moving along different routes. Several trains depart for various places. This gives easy access to onward transportation. Children leaving their homes may reach Howrah or other important railway stations,” he added.
