NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC on Wednesday pulled up the Delhi government and city police over alleged child trafficking at railway stations in the national capital, saying, “Delhi has become a ‘mandi’ now for child trafficking.”
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the court had repeatedly expressed concern and issued directions, however, “the menace continues unabated”.
The bench served a notice on the Delhi government and the authorities concerned on a PIL by an organisation, Just Rights for Children Alliance, claiming that child trafficking was blatantly taking place at the railway stations and surrounding area. During the hearing, the chief justice told the standing counsel for the Delhi government, “Delhi has become a ‘mandi’ for child trafficking.”
“Issue notice… 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,” the bench said.
The bench directed the Delhi government and the Department of Women and Child Development to file their response within six weeks. It further sought replies from the union ministry of railways, commissioner of police, and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on the issue separately.
“We also call upon the NCPCR to not only file a reply to the parawise averments in the PIL petition but also place before the court the data relating to child trafficking in Delhi so that appropriate directions and measures can be ordered by the court to check such incidents,” the bench said.
During the hearing, the court also noted the submissions made by Advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, appearing for the petitioner, who informed the court about an incident where police authorities, after rescuing a girl child, instead of giving custody to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), allowed her to go.
Later in a raid conducted by police, the girl was found working in the same railway station from where she was rescued, the counsel claimed. “Re-trafficking is also taking place. They (children) are not being taken to CWC,” Kaur told the court.
The plea mentioned five rescue operations carried out at Old Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi Railway Station, and Anand Vihar Terminal.
Several kids were rescued, but since the authorities failed to take necessary steps, the rescued children ended up with the traffickers again.
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