Katni: In a massive overnight operation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) rescued 163 minor boys from an express train in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni district on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The children, aged between six and 13 years, were allegedly being trafficked from the Araria region of Bihar to Latur in Maharashtra for forced labour. Acting on a tip-off from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), security personnel intercepted the Patna-Purna Express at Katni railway station’s platform number five on Saturday night.
The rescue mission led to the apprehension of eight men from various districts in Bihar who were travelling with the children without valid tickets or identity documents. RPF Katni Inspector Virendra Singh confirmed that the operation was concluded by dawn on Sunday. The GRP has registered a formal case against the accused under Section 143(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which specifically addresses the trafficking of minors. Preliminary investigations suggest the boys were destined for industrial or agricultural labour units in Latur.
Child Protection Officer Manish Tiwari stated that the rescued minors are currently undergoing counselling to assess their mental well-being and to gather more details about the trafficking network. The children have been temporarily placed in child protection units across Katni and Jabalpur while authorities work to verify their identities and contact their parents in Bihar. This successful intervention marks one of the largest child trafficking busts in recent months along the central railway corridor.
