CHANDIGARH: For the first time in Punjab, DNA testing will be conducted on children involved in begging along with the adults accompanying them, to ascertain if they are their biological parents. If not, a case will be registered against the alleged child traffickers.
A letter issued today by the Director of Social Security and Women and Child Development, addressed to all Deputy Commissioners across the state, states that the move is part of the ongoing Project Jeewan Jyot 2.0 - Save the Childhood.
“It is brought to your notice that in order to safeguards the rights of the children by the government, the project Jeewan Jyot 2.0 has been sanctioned. Thus you are requested to implement the project in your districts concerned and issue the relevant directions in this regard,” the letter read.
According to the project, the need for DNA testing arose from the fact that children are soft targets for organised trafficking networks that abduct, traffic, and maim them, forcing them into begging which is a serious violation of child rights.
“The children are trafficked, separated from their biological families, and forced into begging and there are no means of identification or verification of claims of guardianship of the accompanying adult. Often it is seen that young girls are seen begging on the streets who have a sleeping infant tied to them with a cloth.
“The infant shows less mobility and the young mothers seem less bothered about the condition of the child. These sightings have become common in urban areas especially at traffic light points,’’ the instructions stated.
It also pointed out that, upon rescue, authorities often face difficulty in confirming whether the accompanying adult is the child’s legitimate parent or guardian. Therefore, modern strategies like DNA testing are needed to ascertain the relationship and rule out any doubts of trafficking.
The objective of DNA testing is to verify the biological relationship between rescued children and accompanying adults, identify cases of child trafficking, and enable timely legal action, rehabilitation, and repatriation.
The committee may order DNA tests in suspected child trafficking cases with approval granted by the Deputy Commissioner.
Samples will be collected by lab experts from the district's government hospital, following all mandatory procedures for DNA collection. The samples will then be sent to an authorised forensic science laboratory (FSL).
Until the DNA testing is completed and results are received, the children will be housed in temporary shelters. The test results will be documented and shared with the police. If the DNA does not match and the child is found to be part of a trafficking network, they will be placed in a child care home.
In cases where no biological link is established between the child and the accompanying adult, the police will register a case against the accused based on the recommendation of the Child Welfare Committee.
If the DNA test confirms a match, the child will be restored to the family, and the authorities will issue a warning against involving the child in begging. If the child and accompanying adults are repeatedly found begging, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) may declare the adults unfit guardians. In such cases, the child will be sent to a children’s home and declared legally free for adoption, it added.