163 minor children rescued from Patna-Purna Express in a major operation at Katni railway station in Madhya Pradesh. The children were reportedly being taken from Bihar to Maharashtra. Railway police and child protection officials acted quickly after receiving a tip about possible trafficking.
Authorities said the 163 minor children rescued from Patna-Purna Express were mostly from Bihar’s Araria region. The boys, aged between six and thirteen, were allegedly being transported to Latur in Maharashtra for labour work.
A joint team of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) stopped the train at Katni station and searched several sleeper coaches. They found the children travelling without proper tickets or documents. Officials immediately took them into safe custody.
Police arrested eight men who were travelling with the group. Officers registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to child trafficking. Authorities have started an investigation to uncover the network behind the operation.
The rescued children are now staying in child protection centres in Katni and Jabalpur. Officials are contacting their families and verifying their identities.
