Telangana HC ropes in Centre in fight against child trafficking mafia

HYDERABAD: Making it clear that the states leading lone battles against

child traffickers may not yield better results and that they should make the

central government an integral part in the battle against the inhuman

trafficking mafia, the Telangana high court on Thursday made the union

women and child welfare ministry as a necessary party to a batch of cases

that are seeking the intervention of the courts and governments to trace

the missing children and to protect them from being trafficked.

The bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy also

suggested the state follow the guidelines given by the Delhi high court in

the past in its judgment in Sapan Haldar Versus State of Delhi.

There were certain suggestions regarding facial recognition technology to

identify the missing kids, the bench said. It also spoke about the facility to

be integrated with the agencies of the states and the center. Advocate General BS Prasad said that they will incorporate all the

guidelines in their approach. However, he said that the state of Telangana and its police have been using a facial recognition

technology called Darpan in Telangana.

This facility was integrated with the state and central agencies and has been yielding good results, he said. Senior counsel L

Ravi Chander who was representing the case of Prajwala, an NGO entrusted with the protection of rescued children, said that

Prajwala was entrusted with 34 such children. The children were rescued from prostitution dens near Yadadri a year ago.

Asked about the parents of these children, the senior counsel informed the court that a bench of this court denied them access

to the children after coming to know that they were part of the accused traffickers.

Dealing with a separate set of pleas that are related to the formation of child welfare committees in all the 34 districts in the

state, the bench questioned the state as to why the state is making inordinate delay in forming these essential committees that

play an important role in protection and care of the children in distress. Why this laxity? we are talking about children who

cannot protect themselves, who cannot knock the doors of Justice on their own.

You have to be quick in reaching out to such vulnerable sections, the bench said addressing the state counsel. The bench

directed the state to notify the constitution of all the child welfare committees in the state within one week from now.

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