KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file an affidavit, explaining whether they could take over the investigation into the case related to the alleged trafficking of 588 children from the other states to orphanages in Kerala.
A Division Bench, comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A M Sheffique, passed the order on petitions seeking CBI probe into the trafficking of children from Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal to the orphanages in the State.
The counsel for the CBI had filed a statement expressing willingness to take over the investigation into the case. The counsel submitted that it was prepared to take up the investigation, considering the vulnerable situation of the children and also the sensitivity in the matter. “A number of states are involved in the case. The CBI is having a special cell to probe trafficking cases,” it said. When the case came up for hearing, the Advocate General opposed the statement saying that the CBI authorities did not make any submission before the Court, and pointed out that it was only a statement by the counsel.
Subsequently, the Bench directed the CBI counsel to inform the stand taken by CBI in the case, through an affidavit within two weeks. It also allowed pleas filed by the Association of Orphanages and Charitable Institutions of Kerala and the Mukkam orphanage, seeking to be impleaded in the case.