NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of TOI report on child trafficking racket of newborn babies in Delhi and decided to examine the issue to check the menace.
A beach of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that the news report of newborn babies being sold for lakhs of rupees is very shocking and action is needed to be taken to root out such illegal acts in the city. The court asked the investigating officer of the case to appear before it with the blueprint of an action plan. The court passed the order while quashing bail of 13 accused involved in child trafficking in Uttar Pradesh.
"It appears that a huge gang is dangerously operating within & outside Delhi and is selling trafficked infants and children in different states for sums ranging from Rs. 5,00,000/- to 10,00,000/-. It also appears from the reporting that some of the accused persons who have been arrested are habitual offenders. The report says that one Anjali who had been earlier arrested by CBI in a similar case of human trafficking is said to be involved in the present incident," the bench said.
"We request the Police Officer in-charge of the investigation of the above incident of child trafficking as reported by TOI to personally remain present before this Court on April 21 so that we can gather some further information as regards the action plan the Police proposes to take against such gangs operating within and outside Delhi," the bench said.
The court noted that traffickers are using technology for smooth operation and they are well networked through their smartphones sharing information, photographs, transferring money, sharing locations etc. "Their operations, the relative ease with which they are able to operate and procure buyers for selling the children outside their states indicate that they are aware of the technology, they recognise demand, and they recognise the need to operate as a network," it said.
It said that the increase in child trafficking might be because adoption in the country became a long-drawn process and there was a huge waiting list for parents to adopt children and not enough children who are declared “legally free for adoption” under the law. The court appealed to the parents to be more vigilant and also said that if any newborn infant is trafficked from any hospital, the immediate action against the hospital should be suspension of licence to run the hospital
"We want to convey a message to one & all, more particularly the parents across the country that they should remain extremely vigilant and careful with their children. A slight carelessness or negligence or laxity on their part may prove to be extremely costly. The pain and agony which any parents may have to face when the child dies is different from the pain and agony that the parents may have to face when they lose their children to such gangs engaged in trafficking. When the child dies, the parents may with passage of time resign to the will of the Almighty but when the child is lost and not found they have to suffer the pain and agony for the rest of their life. It is worse than death. Therefore, we humbly urge one and all to remain very cautious and vigilant," the court said.
A beach of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that the news report of newborn babies being sold for lakhs of rupees is very shocking and action is needed to be taken to root out such illegal acts in the city. The court asked the investigating officer of the case to appear before it with the blueprint of an action plan. The court passed the order while quashing bail of 13 accused involved in child trafficking in Uttar Pradesh.
"It appears that a huge gang is dangerously operating within & outside Delhi and is selling trafficked infants and children in different states for sums ranging from Rs. 5,00,000/- to 10,00,000/-. It also appears from the reporting that some of the accused persons who have been arrested are habitual offenders. The report says that one Anjali who had been earlier arrested by CBI in a similar case of human trafficking is said to be involved in the present incident," the bench said.
"We request the Police Officer in-charge of the investigation of the above incident of child trafficking as reported by TOI to personally remain present before this Court on April 21 so that we can gather some further information as regards the action plan the Police proposes to take against such gangs operating within and outside Delhi," the bench said.
The court noted that traffickers are using technology for smooth operation and they are well networked through their smartphones sharing information, photographs, transferring money, sharing locations etc. "Their operations, the relative ease with which they are able to operate and procure buyers for selling the children outside their states indicate that they are aware of the technology, they recognise demand, and they recognise the need to operate as a network," it said.
It said that the increase in child trafficking might be because adoption in the country became a long-drawn process and there was a huge waiting list for parents to adopt children and not enough children who are declared “legally free for adoption” under the law. The court appealed to the parents to be more vigilant and also said that if any newborn infant is trafficked from any hospital, the immediate action against the hospital should be suspension of licence to run the hospital
"We want to convey a message to one & all, more particularly the parents across the country that they should remain extremely vigilant and careful with their children. A slight carelessness or negligence or laxity on their part may prove to be extremely costly. The pain and agony which any parents may have to face when the child dies is different from the pain and agony that the parents may have to face when they lose their children to such gangs engaged in trafficking. When the child dies, the parents may with passage of time resign to the will of the Almighty but when the child is lost and not found they have to suffer the pain and agony for the rest of their life. It is worse than death. Therefore, we humbly urge one and all to remain very cautious and vigilant," the court said.
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