Delhi government on Thursday assured the High Court that it would take action to rescue minors trafficked from various parts of the country and forced into bonded labour in Delhi, upon receiving actionable information.
A bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, emphasising the urgency of the issue, instructed the Delhi government counsel to submit a status report on the actions taken.
The high court was addressing a PIL requesting authorities to conduct raids and rescue over 1,000 trafficked minors forced into bonded labour in Delhi.
Petitioner Rohtas, supporting the NGO ‘Sahyog Care For You,’ stated in the PIL that he had lodged 18 complaints, urging authorities to raid properties in Delhi to rescue 245 children and 772 adolescents working in unsafe and unhygienic conditions for 12-13 hours daily.
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During the hearing, Delhi government counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi reported that a meeting between the petitioner and the SDM (headquarters) had occurred following the court’s previous order, but no actionable information was provided.
He noted that the petitioner had not supplied proper addresses for the suspected child labour sites, making it difficult for authorities to act.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that no information was requested from them and urged the court to set a timeline for rescuing the minors.
The bench stated that each situation requires different actions and emphasized mutual trust. It directed the petitioner to provide actionable information to Tripathi in a sealed cover to ensure prompt action.
The court had previously issued notices to the Delhi government, Department of Revenue, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights regarding the petition.
The plea highlighted that trafficked children often live and work with their employers in hazardous conditions harmful to their health and development.
The PIL noted that more than two months had passed since the complaints were first sent to authorities, with multiple reminders sent to district magistrates and SDMs in Delhi, yet no action had been taken. It emphasized that the law requires rescues to be conducted within 24 to 48 hours in such cases.
The petitioner sought a directive for authorities to investigate all child labour or trafficking complaints within 24 to 48 hours of receiving them. (With inputs from PTI)
