Presentation on

Standard Operating Procedure for rescue operation in Indian Railways

Ministry of RailwaysGovernment of India

Indian Railways: An overview

• Indian Railways is an Indian state-owned enterprise, owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km of track over a route of 65,436 km and 7,172 stations. 

•12617 passenger trains run daily on Indian Railways, which carry more than 23 million passengers per day.

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Constitutional and Legal Provisions Against Trafficking of Children

Trafficking in Human Beings or Persons is prohibited under the Constitution of India. The specific provisions are in Article 23 (1) of the Constitution of India.

Implementation of legislations prohibiting Trafficking in Human Beings such as:

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956

Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000

Sections 370 & 372 of the IPC

Special Operating Procedure (SOP) made in conjunction with Ministry of Child Welfare and Development has been circulated to General Managers, DsGP/All states, CSCs/RPF and GRP Chiefs/All states for its implementation regarding constitution of Child Protection Committees at all major Railway stations.

Child Protection Committees comprising of Station Manager, SHO/GRP, Inspector/RPF, CTI/TTE and SSE/Works at 20 major Railway stations of Indian Railways to Prevent & Combat Trafficking of Human Beings, with Special focus on Children. Children Assistance Centre setup at 20 Railway stations for children in need of Care & Protection.

Role of Ministry of Railways

Training and orientation programs on Child rights and child protection for Railway employees at all Zonal training centers.

The Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2006 and Child rights incorporated in the syllabus of initial/refresher course of RPF and GRP training Centers/Academies

Role of Indian RailwaysRescue and Rehabilitation

Institutional Mechanism in terms of Railway Board/Zonal Railways Nodal Authorities. All Zonal Railways/Divisions have established Zonal/Division level structures for dealing with trafficking of children.

Nodal officers nominated at Railway Board, Zonal levels and Divisional levels to ensure functioning of child protection system within Railways.

Institutional Mechanisms to deal with Trafficking of Children

Ministry of Railways-effective coordination

Role and Functions

Railway Board:- DG/RPF, assisted by IG(C&I), on behalf of CRB at Railway Board, to ensure functioning of child protection systems within railways. The information data maintained by the Railways shall be provided to the PCPCR annually by Railway Board.

Zonal Level:- Nodal officer at Zonal Railways is Addl. GM, assisted by CCM, PCE and CSC of the Zone. The half yearly information data maintained by the Zone shall be provided to the Railway Board.

Divisional Level:- Nodal officer at Divisional level is ADRM assisted by Sr.DCM, Sr.DEN(Co-ordination) and Sr.DSC/RPF who will monitor the functioning of Child Protection Committee at stations.

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Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking Scheme for Strengthening Law Enforcement

Role of SHO/GRP & Inspector/RPF at Railway stations:

.Briefing of GRP/RPF personnel on child protection issue, during routine meetings at the stations.

. Awareness among stakeholders.

. Oversee child protection issues on platforms.

. Ensuring the production of children before CWC(JJ).

Role of TTE and Ticket Collector:

TTE will inform about any suspected child or a group of children travelling in trains or at stations to the GRP/RPF escort on board or refer the matter to the Child Protection Committees at station.

In case, the child/children is/are found involved in any crime under the provisions of IPC or any other LAW, RPF will hand over child/children to GRP for taking further legal action.

• Maintaining a designated Child Assistance Centre

• Making provision for putting safety, care and protection mechanism for children at Railway stations.

• Making arrangement for emergency support of rescued child/children including food, drinking water, toilet, primary medical facility, etc.

• Maintaining emergency contact numbers.

• Monitoring child protection system at stations and ensuring their proper functioning.

• Maintaining records

Responsibilities of Child Protection Committee at Major Railway stations

• Station level Child Protection committee to hold monthly meeting to review its functioning, supervision of Child assistance centre and preparing report to be shared with Division.

• Adequate publicity in print/electronic media in regard to availability of information about the children produced before the CWC in the Railway website.

• Coordination with statutory bodies of CWC and Juvenile Justice Board for effective rehabilitation of children.

• Coordination with NGOs working on stations related to the issue.

Responsibilities of Child Protection Committee at Major Railway stations

Action by RPF for Search of Victims and Suspects

At major stations, Inspector RPF having proper training, briefing and well known to the provisions of this offence, has to deal with child protection issues.

On receiving, the details are to be entered in the Daily Diary maintained at Post and the same will be conveyed to Security Control.

Security Control has to monitor the running position of train concerned and inform all the stations where the train has a scheduled stoppage to search for the victims, suspects.

The Post in-charge has to act proactively and inform his team/designated officer to be ready to act on the source information.

Action by RPF for Search of Victims and Suspects

The Post in-charge has to share this information with his team members, hierarchy and counterparts i.e. GRP, Local Police & State’s designated officer of welfare department, and seek their presence in the search operation and help for the purpose.

Search for the victims and the offender has to be well planned to cover all the corners of the trains/stations, for which the information is received, in an intelligent way so that the culprit with or without the victim/s do not escape during the search operation.

Action by RPF for Search of Victims and Suspects

Suspects are to be properly identified and examined properly to assess their involvement in the case or any other crime.

There is also a possibility of ‘law and order’ situation arising out before, during and after a search/rescue operation, so the teams are expected to collect all possible advance information in this regard and keep a strict vigil on all the developments before, during and after the search/rescue operation.

Rescue of minor children during the year 2013, 2014 and 2015 (up to September)

Year Nos of Runaway, Trafficked, Kidnapped and destitue

Children Rescued

2013 4658

2014 4458

2015 (Up to Sept.) 3969

IMPORTANT CASES OF RESCUE BY RPF

As per input received about human trafficking, train No.15273 Satyagrah Express was checked on arrival at Delhi (main) Railway station and 63 children were rescued with arrest of 14 accused persons. In this connection, FIR No.179 dated 21.05.2014 u/s 370 IPC was lodged by GRP Delhi (M).

On arrival of train No.16310 (Ex. Patna-Ernakulam) at Palghat Railway station on 24.05.2015, RPF/GRP and Local Police Palghat jointly checked and rescued 456 children coming from Bihar and Jharkhand. In this connection a case vide crime No.48/14 u/s 370 IPC against 04 companions was registered by GRP/Palghat.

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