The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the increasing number of child trafficking cases, noting that organised gangs are operating across the country. It warned that if States and Union Territories fail to take immediate action, the situation could spiral out of control.
The court emphasised that primary responsibility lies with state governments and their home departments to act vigilantly and effectively.
"As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request," a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench criticised several states and UTs for their "lackadaisical" approach in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan observed that the successful retrieval of trafficked children in some cases shows the issue can be addressed. However, he pointed out that the necessary political and administrative will is currently lacking.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated key institutional reforms, including the completion of trafficking-related trials within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed the strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and the improvement of investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash".
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
(With inputs from PTI)
