HYDERABAD: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday summoned the state’s top police official and the law secretary over the absence of government representation for a hearing concerning systemic failures in handling sex trafficking victims.
The bench, comprising justices P Sam Koshy and N Narshing Rao, was hearing a writ petition filed by Prajwala, an NGO working on the rehabilitation of sex workers. The plea alleges a systemic failure to distinguish perpetrators from victims of sex trafficking.
The NGO cited a previous incident where the Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Hyderabad, ignored objections and directed that the known accused be housed in the same rescue home as the victims.
Prajwala argued that some persons previously named as accused in trafficking cases are now being listed as victims and placed alongside actual survivors.
Counsel for the petitioner, Deepak Misra, contended that such juxtaposition of the accused and victims undermines the renders it farcical.
The court had earlier, in the first week of June, asked the state to submit a road map addressing the issue. With no appearance from the Home department during Wednesday’s hearing, the bench expressed strong displeasure.