Today, On 24th September, The Supreme Court dismissed a plea from the NCPCR for an SIT investigation into child trafficking allegations involving Jharkhand shelters managed by the Missionaries of Charity. The Court criticized the commission for seeking vague and misconstrued relief, emphasizing that NCPCR itself holds the power to conduct independent inquiries.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, reprimanded the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for involving the court in its agenda regarding a plea seeking an SIT investigation into allegations of children being sold by shelter homes run by the Missionaries of Charity in Jharkhand.
A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh dismissed the petition, stating that the relief requested “vague and omnibus” and could not be entertained.
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The court told the NCPCR’s lawyer,
“Don’t drag the Supreme Court into your agenda. What kind of relief are you seeking in this petition? How can we issue such directions? The petition is completely misconstrued.”
The lawyer representing the NCPCR initially argued that the petition aimed for a time-bound, court-monitored investigation of all such organizations in Jharkhand to safeguard children’s rights.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has the authority to conduct inquiries and take action under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005. Consequently, the bench declined to hear the petition and dismissed the plea.
In its 2020 petition, the NCPCR sought enforcement of the fundamental right prohibiting human trafficking, as guaranteed by Article 23 of the Constitution.
The petition highlighted irregularities in children’s homes across several states, with a specific focus on Jharkhand, accusing state authorities of a negligent approach to protecting minors.
The plea noted,
“During the course of inquiry, shocking revelations were made by the victims, including instances of children being sold in the homes. These findings were reported to the Jharkhand government, but repeated efforts were made to derail the investigation.”