Complete child trafficking trials within six months: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed trials in child trafficking cases to end in six months underlining that people indulging in trafficking of children should be brought to justice as they are a “big threat to society”.

Issuing a slew of directions to ensure the state machinery, courts, and police get sensitised to the agonising wait suffered by parents whose children are kidnapped, the court extended its order even to hospitals by directing suspension of license of any hospital where an infant gets trafficked.

A bench headed by justice JB Pardiwala said, “If any newborn infant is trafficked from any hospital, the immediate action against the hospital should be suspension of licence to run the hospital over and above other actions in accordance with law.” The court said that when a lady comes to deliver her baby in any hospital, “it is the responsibility of the administration of the hospital to protect the newborn infant in all respects”.

The directions by the court came in a batch of appeals filed by a set of three parents challenging bail granted to members of interstate child trafficking gang who were involved in kidnapping their children and later selling them to prospective parents seeking a child for a premium.

Setting aside the orders of the Allahabad high court granting bail to 13 accused, of which many are absconding, the bench, also comprising justice R Mahadevan said, “We are sorry to say but the High Court dealt with all the bail applications in a very callous manner.”

“These accused persons are a big threat to the society wherever they are in the country. They have exhibited a tendency of committing a particular nature of crime, namely, child trafficking,” the bench said.

“Once each of the HC is able to collect the necessary data as regards the status of the trials, a circular thereafter shall be issued on its administrative side to all the concerned trial courts to complete the trials within a period of six months from the date of the circular and if need be, by conducting the trials on day-to-day basis.”