NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday termed the employment of children, particularly minor girls, in orchestras, dance bars, massage parlours, nautanki performances and spas a “very serious issue”.
The court also issued notice to the Union Government, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Law and Justice, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the matter.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi issued notice on the PIL filed by Just Rights for Children (JRC), challenging the legislative omission under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (CALPRA), which leaves these occupations outside the list of “hazardous occupations and processes” under Part A of the Schedule.
It is to be noted that JRC is the country’s largest network working on child protection and child rights, with more than 250 NGO partners across India.
The petition contended that this legislative gap has enabled organised trafficking networks to operate such establishments as fronts for the commercial sexual exploitation, forced labour and abuse of children below 18 years of age, particularly minor girls.
The network sought the transfer of massage parlours from Part B to Part A of the Schedule and the inclusion of orchestras, dance bars, dance troupes, spas and similar establishments in Part A of the Schedule under CALPRA to ensure an absolute prohibition on child labour in these sectors, JRC General Counsel Rachna Tyagi said.
“Today marks a very significant day in India’s child protection ecosystem. The employment of children in such establishments is not merely labour exploitation, but often a gateway to trafficking, sexual abuse and organised criminality. We hope this intervention by the Hon’ble Supreme Court will strengthen protections for vulnerable children and close the legislative gaps that continue to place them at immense risk and vulnerability,” the plea said.
The petitioner further urged the apex court to direct the NCPCR to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of children found working in such establishments.
The PIL highlighted that the present “legislative vacuum” allows traffickers to allegedly disguise systematic exploitation as lawful employment, while leaving rescued children vulnerable to re trafficking.
“It is appalling that since December 2025, 11 successive raids, including nine raids in orchestras and two raids in massage parlours, conducted by the petitioner and its partners, have resulted in the rescue of 85 minors from orchestras and five minors from massage parlours, aggregating to 90 minors,” the PIL stated.
The petition also highlighted that, in close coordination with police authorities across Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Delhi, JRC and its partners rescued 212 minors from orchestras and 12 minors from massage parlours and spas between March 2025 and May 2026.
