Lok Sabha Question No. 2426 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-16
Subject: Curbing Human Trafficking
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2426 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2022

## CURBING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

## 2426. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Railway  Protection  Force  (RPF)  has  launched  a nationwide operation to curb human trafficking ;
- (b) if  so,  whether  the  RPF  shall  deploy  special  teams  on  all  long distance routes;
- (c) whether  the  RPF  shall  act  as  a  bridge  cutting  across  States  to assist the local police in the mission to curb human trafficking and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the RPF is planning to start cyber cells for patrolling the web/social media to look for digital footprints of human trafficking; and
- (e) whether  the  focus  shall  be  more  on  trains  originating  from districts bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar and if so, the action plan chalked out in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2426 BY SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B. TO BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  16.03.2022  REGARDING  CURBING HUMAN TRAFFICKING (a)  to  (e):  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the Seventh  Schedule  to  the  Constitution  of  India  and,  as  such,  State Governments are responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and maintaining law and order etc. on Railways through their law enforcement agencies viz. Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police. Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP/District Police to provide better protection and security of passenger area and passengers and for matters connected therewith.  RPF  is  not  empowered  to  investigate  cases  of  Human Trafficking  and  whenever  any  case  of  suspected  human  trafficking  is detected  by  RPF,  the  same  is  reported  to  GRP/District  Police.  The persons rescued and apprehended are handed over to concerned Police for  further  necessary action as per law. Close co-ordination with Anti Human  Trafficking  Units  (AHTUs)  of  State  police  is  maintained  for information sharing and planning joint action against human trafficking. However, in order to leverage the Pan-India reach, visible presence in railway stations and trains and effective response mechanism of RPF to supplement  the  efforts  of  State  police,  operation  AAHT  has  been launched by RPF to take effective action in cases of Human Trafficking through railways. A detailed Security Circular No.03/2022 dated 02.02.2022 in this regard has been issued. Cyber  cells  of  RPF  are  used  for  assisting  during  investigation/enquiry done by inquiry officers of  RPF i.e. under the provisions of The Railway Property  (Unlawful  Possession)  Act  and  The  Railways  Act  within  its domain.  However,  in  order  to  supplement  the  efforts  of  State  police, cyber cells have been instructed for cyber patrolling of the web/social media  to  look  for  digital  footprints/traces  of  human  trafficking  in  the internet and to cull out the clues helpful in taking action against Human Trafficking through railways. Also,  field  formations  of  RPF  have  been  sensitized  to  act  proactively involving all the stakeholders to prevent any type of Human Trafficking the through  railways  particularly from  the  vulnerable  districts of country bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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