The petition, presented by advocate Aparna Bhatt, underscored the issue by detailing five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year involving the abduction of minor boys and girls who were trafficked through a network of middlemen to states such as Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
NEW DELHI: Describing it as a matter of “grave concern,” the Supreme Court ordered all states and union territories on Tuesday (24th Sept) to provide details from 2020 regarding the number of missing children, those located, and the mechanisms in place at the district level to track them.
In response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the non-governmental organization Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, a bench led by Justice Hrishikesh Roy stated,
“Multiple first information reports (FIRs) have been filed across various states, indicating a well-entrenched inter-state network of child trafficking. There are individuals facilitating abductions for the purpose of transferring children for monetary gain. The petition presents a clear picture that undeniably highlights a situation of grave concern.”
The petition, presented by advocate Aparna Bhatt, underscored the issue by detailing five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year involving the abduction of minor boys and girls who were trafficked through a network of middlemen to states such as Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
The bench, which also included Justice SVN Bhatti, instructed all states and union territories to provide the Centre with information regarding the number of missing children cases from 2020.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, stated that this new portal would complement the Khoya-Paya portal established in 2015, which specifically addresses missing children cases.
She explained that if a child remains missing for four months, the case is referred to the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) in each district nationwide.
The bench further requested information from the states and union territories on whether the AHTUs have been established and what powers have been assigned to them for handling such cases.
The information collected by the states will be compiled by ASG Bhati and presented to the court at the next hearing, scheduled for October.
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