Mumbai: Throughout the year the Mumbai government railway police (GRP) officials have been playing Santa Claus.
They rescued 1,650 minors, including 465 girls, till November 30, who ran away from their homes due to various reasons, including failure in exams.
The GRP officials were even successful in reuniting 1,493 minors with their parents.
On an average, five children are found abandoned on railway premises in the city every day saud Rajendra Pal, senior police inspector of the Mumbai GRP.
This year, till November 30, as many as 1,650 children —many of whom had run away from home out of frustration — landed up at one of the 17 railway police stations in Mumbai. Of these, there were 1,145 boys and 465 girls.
Most of the children were found in just six stations Thane (123), Vashi (229), Mumbai Central (136), CST (126), Kalyan (188) and Kurla (137)
“The GRP played a key role in their safe journey back home,” said Pal.
Out of 1,650 children,798 boys and 269 girls — were immediately handed over to their parents he said
Through courts 426 children (250 boys and 176 girls) were united with their parents whereas 157 (97 boys and 60 girls) are still in the observation home, Pal said.
In the year 2012 1,419 children (966 boys and 453 girls) were rescued by the GRP and successfully handed over 1,263 of them to their parents.
Most of these children are in the 10-15 age group.
Most of them run away from homes to make a name for themselves in Bollywood and came to the city of dreams - Mumbai.
Some of them find this as an escape route from poverty and abusive parents.
A lot of children come here after they fail in their examinations or when they experience domestic strife, said a GRP officer.
At this age the children are unable to understand what's right and wrong for them and it is very difficult to stop them from going on the wrong track.
We try to counsel them and send them back home once we come across such children, he said.
The officer said GRP has a special cell comprising a police officer, two male and two female cops, at every police station especially to lo
