A woman officer of the Railway Protection Force who has rescued more than 1,500 children from trafficking and exploitation has been honoured with Indian Railways’ highest service award, the Adhi Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar, in Uttar Pradesh.
Inspector Chandana Sinha, currently serving with the RPF at Charbagh railway station in Lucknow, received the prestigious award in recognition of her exceptional contribution to child rescue and anti-trafficking operations on railway premises.
Over the past few years, Chandana Sinha and her team have rescued more than 1,500 children who were found alone, abandoned or being transported illegally. Official records show that her team rescued 494 children in 2024 and an impressive 1,032 children in 2025 alone.
Police sources said Chandana Sinha personally trained her team to identify vulnerable children on railway platforms and distinguish them from those being escorted by traffickers posing as relatives or guardians. Special attention was given to behavioural patterns, body language and travel routes commonly used by child traffickers.
To strengthen operations, she also built an extensive network of informers, including porters, vendors and railway staff, who alert the RPF about suspicious movement of children. This network played a key role in intercepting traffickers at critical transit points.
Investigations led by Chandana Sinha revealed that several children were being transported from Bihar to Punjab and Haryana to be employed as child labourers. By closely monitoring these routes, her team successfully rescued many children before they were trafficked further.
Officials said the awardz award recognises not only her bravery but also her sustained commitment to child protection. The honour has been widely welcomed by social activists and railway officials, who hailed her work as a model for child safety initiatives across the country.
