The Supreme Court seeks action on missing children from states and UTs since 2020

The SC finds it a “grave concern” and has called all states and union territories to furnish details from 2020 on the number of missing children.

The Supreme Court has sought action on missing children from states and union territories since 2020. Calling it a “grave concern,” it has called all states and UTs to furnish details from 2020 on the number of missing children, those found, and the mechanism available at the district level to track them. The petition highlighted the problem by presenting five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year, where minor girls and boys were abducted through a network of middlemen.

SC called all states and UTs to provide details from 2020 on the number of missing children.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered all states and UTs to provide details on missing children from 2020, the ones found, and what mechanism is available at the district level to track them. A bench headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, passing directions on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a non-government organization, Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, said, “Multiple first information reports (FIRs) have been filed in different states which indicates a well-entrenched inter-state network of child trafficking. There are people to arrange for their abduction so that they can be handed over for valuable consideration. What is stated in the petition gives a correct picture, which definitely points to a situation of grave concern.”

Five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh.

Advocate Aparna Bhatt, arguing the petition, highlighted the problem by presenting five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year where minor boys and girls were abducted and transported through a network of middlemen and were taken to states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand.

Aishwarya Bhati, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) appearing for the Centre, said this portal was in addition to the Khoya-Paya portal launched in 2015 to exclusively deal with information on missing children. She highlighted that if a child remains missing for over four months, the case is forwarded to the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) in each district across the country.