Calcutta HC asks West Bengal govt to protect children from being trafficked in COVID time

Apprehending that miseries brought about by COVID-19 outbreak and cyclone Amphan among poor people of West Bengal may le to a spurt in child trafficking and abuse, Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed state government to take all steps to protect children.

A division bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Harish Tandon observed that a report on child marris and trafficking cases submitted by West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights on June 8 is "alarming".

report has provided data from March 20 to April 14, on cases of child marri, sexual abuse, child trafficking and or incidents of violation of child rights, bench said. Trafficking in garb of child marri or child labour is more disturbing because of involvement of family members of children, court observed.

"Recently it has come to our tice that a report has been filed by an NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan before Honble Supreme Court wherefrom it appears that 136 mir girls being married off in Bengal due to lockdown and devastation caused by cyclone Amphan," division bench said.

Apprehension is expressed that on lifting of lockdown, re is likely to be a massive spurt in child trafficking for labour and commercial sexual exploitation, bench ted.

"West Bengal has many porous districts and incidents of child trafficking are t uncommon. middlemen are quite active in some of se porous districts of Bengal. We would be failing in our duty if we cant protect children from any kind of abuse including ir exploitation," bench observed.

bench ted that recent reports filed before it by district magistrates and superintendents of police of districts have, however, categorically said that re h been incident of child abuse or violation of child rights in any of ir districts.

Considering report filed by Chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights and that of NGO, bench directed principal secretary, home department, to file an affidavit with regard to cases reported and apprehended, as well as steps taken by it for protection of child rights.

court ordered that report should also specify actions taken against perpetrators of such crimes. exodus of migrant labourers due to pandemic has exposed children to be trafficked, court observed.

"We direct that panchayat prhan of all panchayats of respective districts should be sensitised about child rights and evils of child marris. This order should also reach all prhans and it would be duty of district magistrates that at panchayat level se issues are dressed and remedial measures are taken with all promptitude," division bench ordered.

In view of reported cases of child labour, court also directed secretary, labour department, to look into matter and file a report as to steps taken by department to prevent child labour and action taken against perpetrators.

court said that all affidavits be filed on or before June 16 and matter will be taken up for furr consideration on June 18. It directed all secretaries of District Legal Services Authority to ensure that child rights are protected and to take up any incidence of child abuse eir reported or apprehended immediately with appropriate authorities.

In a report submitted before court, department of health said that as on June 4, out of 29,658 children of migrant workers who arrived in West Bengal from different states, 5,360 children were kept in institutional quarantine and 24,298 in home quarantine.

General health check up was done on all 29,658 children and COVID-19 tests have been carried out on 3,005 children and about 13,603 children have been provided with mental health support, report said.

(Photo Credit: PTI)