The Delhi High Court recently sought responses from the Union Ministry of Railways, the Delhi Police and the Delhi government in a public interest petition (PIL) raising concerns regarding child trafficking from railway stations.
A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said to standing counsel for the Delhi government,
“What are you doing? Delhi has become a mandi now for child trafficking. Just roam around at New Delhi Railway Station, Nizamuddin Railway Station for two hours, you can gather what is going there.”
The Court stated that despite past directions, the menace of child trafficking is unabated. This is due to the lack of effective implementation of measures and procedures in place, the Court stated.
"It is common knowledge that such trafficking of children of tender age is rampant. The courts time and again have expressed their concerns and issued directions, however, the menace is still unabated. We also notice from the averments made in the petition that efforts have been made by Railways and Standard Operating Procedure (SoPs) have also been framed. However, on account of lack of effective implementation of the measures and SoP on combating trafficking of persons, the situation does not appear to improve,” the Court observed.
It also asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to file requisite data relating to child trafficking in Delhi.
“Let counter affidavit be filed by Delhi government and the Department of Women and Child Development within 4 weeks. Also counter affidavit shall also be filed by Union Ministry of Railways, Commissioner of Police and NCPCR separately. We also call upon the NCPCR to not only file response to para wise averments in the PIL petition but also place before the court the requisite data relating to child trafficking in Delhi so that appropriate directions and measures can be ordered by court to check such incidents. The said affidavits shall be filed within 6 weeks.”
Advocate Prabhsahay Kaur appeared for the petitioner organisations, Just Rights for Children Alliance and Association for Voluntary Action.
She mentioned an incident where after rescuing a girl child, police authorities failed to put her in custody of the child welfare authority. After a raid conducted by petitioner organisation, the child was found working in the same place from where she was rescued. Kaur said,
“Re-trafficking is also taking place, they are not being taken to child welfare centre. As per the date of Ministry of Railways, over 84,000 children have been trafficked in the past 6 years, There is an SoP on the subject. It has been clarified in the parliament itself that Railways police falls under the district police and this issue is to be managed by the state police.”