With only ‘53 children’ set for adoption in district, child trafficking flourishing in Nagpur: Experts

Tedious process, high demand and low supply attributing in child trafficking rackets

in Nagpur

Nagpur: The tedious process of adoption coupled with a classic ‘high demand and

low supply’ crises are attributing to the rampant child trafficking rackets in the

Second Capital of the State, according to experts.

Currently, a total of 53 children (0-6 age category), from five different Government

affiliated orphanages, are set for adoption in Nagpur district. Out of these 53

children, 30 are girls and 23 are boys, revealed the data procured by Nagpur Today

from District Child and Women Development (CWD).

Senior sources from District CWD informed Nagpur Today that, most applican

Nagpur Police have been on their toes to curb the menace of child trafficking rackets.

This year, Nagpur cops have exposed four incidents related to child trafficking

rackets flourishing in the city and arrested 21 persons in this connection. Of these

four cases, one each was reported in Pachpaoli (2 arrest), Wathoda (5 arrest),

Sitabuldi (5 arrest) and Sadar (9 arrest). In 2021, only one case was reported under

Kotwali Police Station where five accused were arrested, according to the data

obtained from Nagpur Crime Branch.

Senior sources of Nagpur Police confirmed the tedious process and ‘high demand

and low supply’ theory behind the flourishing rackets of child trafficking.

“The applicants are not ready to wait for a tedious process, which in some cases can

extend till 3-4 years. The accused, during the interrogation, confessed their crimes

and informed us that while their application was in thousands at the Central

Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) portal, and in hundreds at State Adoption

Resource Agency (SARA). We can’t wait till our old age to raise a child, we want the

happiness of raising our child while we are young, they lamented,” sources said.

Notably, from September 1, District Magistrates (DM) have been empowered to issue

adoption orders instead of courts. All cases pending before courts have to be

transferred. Hundreds of adoptive parents in the country are now concerned that the

transfer process will further delay what is already a long and tedious process. There

are questions whether an order passed by the executive will pass muster when an

adopted child’s entitlements on succession and inheritance are contested before a

court.

The Parliament passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)

Amendment Bill, 2021 in July last year in order to amend the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ

Act), 2015. The key changes include authorising District Magistrates and Additional

District Magistrates to issue adoption orders. This was done “in order to ensure

speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability,” according to a recently issued