Mysuru: In a swift operation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Mysuru, under South Western Railway, rescued a six-month-old baby boy from a suspected kidnapper within 30 minutes of receiving an alert.
At around 5:20 a.m. on October 22, 2025, constable C.M. Nagaraju of RPF, Mysuru, noticed a distressed woman near the Mysuru Railway Station portico reporting her infant missing. Acting promptly, he alerted ASI Prasi and Inspector Dinesh Kumar, who immediately initiated a CCTV search.
Footage revealed a woman, aged about 50, carrying an infant towards platform 6 to board Train No. 16206.
The RPF team intercepted her by 5:50 a.m. and rescued the child she was carrying and subsequently reunited him with his parents.
The accused, Devika (name changed), a resident of Hassan, was handed over to the GRP, Mysuru, which registered a case (crime no. 25/2025) under Section 137(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
She was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.
This rescue is part of Operation ‘Nanhe Farishte’, an RPF initiative which trains the police to be alert, follow the spirit of teamwork, and in the extensive use of CCTV surveillance to trace and reunite lost or kidnapped children with their families.
Across the South Western Railway zone, a total of 152 railway stations have been equipped with 2,043 CCTV cameras strategically placed at stations, platforms and other critical points to enable continuous surveillance.
Among these, Hubballi division has installed 859 cameras at 63 stations, Bengaluru division has 586 cameras at 27 stations, and Mysuru division has 598 cameras at 62 stations.
This advanced surveillance network enables rapid detection, crime prevention and swift emergency response, significantly contributing to a safer and more secure travel experience for all passengers.
To strengthen passenger safety measures across all stations, South Western Railway has implemented several initiatives.
A total of 55 additional RPF/RPSF personnel have been deployed in the Bengaluru division.
Two Quick Response Teams have been stationed at Krishnarajapuram and SMVT stations for enhanced vigilance.
The Special Crime Prevention Teams recently showed effective performance by detecting one case of theft of passenger belonging worth Rs. 50,000, which was recovered and handed over to the Government Railway Police, Dharmapuri.
Additionally, 34 persons were apprehended for carrying dangerous and inflammable items (crackers) inside stations and trains.
A total of 34 cases were registered and materials valued at ₹2,60,797 have been seized, a press release by Dr. Manjunath Kanamadi, Chief PRO, South Western Railway, Hubballi, says.
