An eight-year-old boy who ran away from home in Balasore district, as he feared going to school, has been rescued by RPF personnel from a train.
After noticing the boy sitting helplessly near the washbasin of a coach of Howrah-Chennai Mail on Sunday, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) team took him into confidence, an East Coast Railway (ECoR) official said.
"The boy, who hailed from Nua Sahi village, told the RPF personnel that he fled from home as he was afraid of going to school. He also denied of being trafficked by anyone," the official said.
When the train arrived at Khurda Road station, the boy was taken to the Station Manager's office and members of SOCH (Society for Children), an organisation working for the welfare of children, were informed.
He was then handed over to the SOCH members after completion of necessary formalities in the presence of the Station Manager and RPF officials, the official said.
The RPF team which rescued the boy comprised head constable S K Das and constables K C Pradhan and D Nath, he said.
The team was escorting the train from Bhadrak to Khurda Road stations.