Maligaon, July 24 (MExN): In what has been officially termed a “major success” in the fight against human trafficking, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) rescued 56 young women and arrested two suspected traffickers on July 22.
The rescue took place aboard the New Jalpaiguri–Patna Capital Express during the night of July 22, 2025, at New Jalpaiguri railway station, informed a press release from the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), NFR.
The women, aged between 18 and 31 years, belonged to the districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar in West Bengal, it said. The women were reportedly “lured” with false promises of employment in a Bengaluru-based company but were instead being transported to Bihar, raising serious suspicions of trafficking.
As per the release, during a routine check, alert RPF personnel noticed a large group of young women travelling without valid tickets, with coach and berth numbers stamped on their hands—a method often linked to trafficking networks.
The two escorts, a man and a woman, gave contradictory statements and failed to produce valid travel or employment documents. Accordingly, both were taken into custody and handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP), it said.
A joint GRP-RPF investigation is underway to trace possible trafficking networks in the region, it added.
Meanwhile, the CPRO release informed that all rescued women were provided with immediate support and later safely reunited with their families.
Since January to July 22, the RPF-NFR has apprehended four human traffickers and successfully rescued six minor boys and 56 women in multiple operations, it added, further assuring continued efforts to ensure the safety and security of passengers, especially women and children, across the zone.
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