SUPREME COURT ORDERS CENTRE TO REMIND STATES AND UTS TO FURNISH DATA ON MISSING CHILDREN:

In a Public Interest Litigation concerning child trafficking and unresolved cases of missing children recorded on the Khoya/Paya portal, the Supreme Court recently directed the Union Government to issue strong reminders to those States and Union Territories that have failed to provide data on missing children cases. The petition underscores the grave issue of children from vulnerable families being kidnapped and sold into organised trafficking networks that operate across multiple States.

The matter was taken up by a bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice KV Viswanathan. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the Court that several States had not yet furnished the necessary information. Taking note of the delay, the Court identified Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, and West Bengal as the defaulting States. The Union Territories yet to comply were Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry.

The Court directed the Union Government to compile the information into a single chart and present it before the bench. It emphasized that reminders must be sent to the States and Union Territories that had not submitted data, so that the compilation could be completed and placed before the Court. The bench underlined that without such cooperation, the task of monitoring the extent of missing children and trafficking cases would remain incomplete.

The petition alleges that children from economically and socially vulnerable backgrounds are often kidnapped and sold into trafficking rings, which operate through a well-organised inter-State network. It draws attention to multiple FIRs registered across different States, which, according to the petitioner, highlight the alarming scale of the racket.

Earlier, on September 24, 2024, the Supreme Court had issued directions requiring the Union Government to coordinate with all stakeholders and collect district-wise and year-wise data on missing children from 2020 onwards, coinciding with the establishment of the Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC). The Court had sought specific details, including the total number of registered cases, the number of recoveries made within the stipulated four-month period, pending prosecutions, and the functioning of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs). It also required clarity on the powers vested in these units under law and the measures to be adopted in cases of delay or non-recovery.

In its affidavit filed on September 23, 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs outlined steps already taken to address trafficking and missing children cases. It stated that on June 25, 2013, advisories had been issued to all States and Union Territories focusing on prevention, protection, and prosecution aspects of human trafficking. The Ministry further informed the Court that financial assistance had been extended to States for establishing or upgrading Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts. Additionally, it highlighted the launch of the Cri-MAC platform in 2020, intended to serve as a national-level communication tool for real-time sharing of information on trafficking crimes.

Despite these measures, the Court observed that many States and Union Territories had not complied with its earlier order to provide updated data. By directing the Union Government to issue strong reminders, the Court sought to ensure that complete information would be available, enabling it to assess the situation comprehensively and monitor implementation of protective mechanisms for children.