Bengaluru: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of South Western Railway (SWR) achieved several major milestones in February 2026, rescuing children, seizing narcotics, arresting ticket touts, and recovering lost belongings of passengers worth ₹44.8 lakh.
Under Operation ‘Nanhe Faristheh’, the RPF rescued 51 children (39 boys and 12 girls) who had been separated from their families for various reasons. The children were later handed over to their families, NGOs, or local police authorities after due verification.
Under Operation Dignity, one elderly woman in need of care and protection was rescued and safely handed over to family members or NGOs.
The RPF also continued its ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative, a women-centric programme aimed at ensuring safe travel for women passengers travelling alone. Currently, 32 trains are covered under this initiative, with RPF personnel closely monitoring passengers and collecting feedback at destination stations.
Crackdown on Ticket Touts
During Operation ‘Uplabdh’, the RPF conducted intensive checks at travel agencies and locations across Karnataka and Goa to curb black marketing of train tickets.
As a result, 23 touts were arrested in 23 cases under Section 143 of the Railways Act. Officials seized 48 live tickets worth ₹77,804 and 65 used tickets worth ₹97,496, with the total value of seized tickets reaching ₹1.75 lakh.
Detection of Liquor and Narcotics
Under Operation Satark, RPF personnel detected seven liquor cases, recovering 142 bottles (100 litres) of liquor worth ₹63,346, which were handed over to the Excise Department.
Similarly, Operation Narco led to the detection of seven cases involving narcotics, with 57 kilograms of ganja worth ₹2.71 lakh seized. Three offenders were arrested and handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Excise authorities for further legal action.
Recovery of Passenger Belongings
The RPF also demonstrated swift response in addressing passenger concerns. In 58 separate incidents, officers recovered misplaced or left-behind items including laptops, mobile phones, jewellery, and other valuables worth ₹44.8 lakh, and returned them to their rightful owners.
To ensure safety across railway networks, an average of 32–35 express and special trains were escorted daily by 90–95 RPF personnel, while mobile patrolling was conducted regularly across the South Western Railway zone.
Under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966, RPF registered three cases and arrested seven offenders, recovering stolen railway property valued at ₹38,458.
Additional General Manager P. Ananth expressed appreciation for the dedicated efforts of RPF personnel, highlighting their commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and comfort of railway passengers.
