163 minor boys being trafficked to Maharashtra rescued from train in MP’s Katni; 8 held

PTI, Apr 12, 2026, Katni:  The children, aged between six and 13, were being transported from Bihar for labour work in Latur.

As many as 163 minor boys allegedly being trafficked from Bihar to Maharashtra were rescued from an express train in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni district by the railway police, officials said on Sunday.

The children, aged between six and 13, were being transported from Bihar for labour work in Latur when the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) intercepted the group on Saturday night based on a tip-off from the Child Welfare Committee, they said.

In a joint overnight operation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) intercepted eight persons, who were travelling with the boys without proper tickets and documents onboard the Patna-Purna Express at Katni railway station, they said.

According to preliminary information, the children were being taken from the Araria region in Bihar to Latur in Maharashtra, RPF Katni inspector Virendra Singh told PTI.

The force received a tip-off about the trafficking of children and grew suspicious after they found no valid travel documents, prompting a joint rescue operation, which was wrapped up at Sunday dawn, he said.

Singh said that the GRP have registered a case under Section 143(4) (trafficking of a child below the age of eighteen years) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the eight accused, all from different districts of Bihar.

Initial investigations suggest that the boys were being taken to Latur to work as labourers, he said, adding that the GRP is investigating the case.

According to officials, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) had received information about a large number of children being transported under suspicious circumstances.

Security personnel waited for the express train on platform number 5 and searched coaches upon its arrival, taking the children into safe custody, they added.

Child Protection Officer Manish Tiwari said authorities acted promptly on the input, and the rescued children were undergoing counselling.

Efforts have begun to contact their parents while officials verified their age, identity and purpose of travel, he said.

Some children have been kept in Katni and others in Jabalpur under the care of child protection units.

Babushahi.com Katni (Madhya Pradesh), April 12, 2026: In a major intervention, authorities deboarded 163 minor children from a train at Katni railway station after receiving information about their suspicious transit from Bihar to Maharashtra. The incident has triggered a multi-agency investigation to ascertain the purpose and circumstances of the journey.

According to officials, the children—mostly belonging to the same community—were travelling from Araria district in Bihar to Latur in Maharashtra on the Patna–Pune Express. They were reportedly being taken to a madrasa when authorities acted on a tip-off and intercepted the group at Platform No. 5 of Katni station.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF), in coordination with the Women and Child Development Department and railway officials, immediately stepped in and safely removed all the children from the train. Several adults accompanying them are currently being questioned to determine the intent behind the travel and whether proper procedures were followed.

For safety and verification, the children have been shifted to the RPF station, where counselling is being conducted and their documents are being examined. Officials are also working to establish contact with the families of the minors.

A joint team of around 20 officials from the Women and Child Development Department and the Child Welfare Committee, led by Manish Tiwari and Durgesh Sharma, was present on-site during the operation. Additionally, nearly 27 personnel from the RPF, Government Railway Police (GRP), and local police carried out the coordinated action.

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