Child trafficking: NHRC directs personal appearance of Home Secretary and SP

As per the petition, one Narayan Dash of Ganjam district had kidnapped an eight-year-old girl from her village while she was witnessing a festival on the occasion of Kartika Purnima in 2015.

BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has summoned the Home Secretary and SP of Crime Branch-CID, Cuttack seeking their personal appearance with detailed report in connection with rising human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children in Odisha.

Acting on a petition and subsequent submissions filed by rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the apex human rights panel has served conditional summons directing the two officers to appear before the Commission on March 17.

As per the petition, one Narayan Dash of Ganjam district had kidnapped an eight-year-old girl from her village while she was witnessing a festival on the occasion of Kartika Purnima in 2015. Narayan took the girl to Burupada and allegedly exploited her sexually. Next day, he engaged her for begging at different places after selling her ear-ring for `2000 to buy a cell phone.

“A former model was spotted while engaging minors from a Bhubaneswar-based slum in begging and extorting money from them. It is failure of the State government in dealing with children being used for begging, sexual abuse and drugs trade,” the petition stated.

The NHRC had earlier sought action taken reports from the DGP. Pursuant to the direction of the NHRC, the city DCP had informed that one eight-year-old boy was rescued by the volunteers of an NGO while he was begging at Bhubaneswar Railway Station pretending as physically challenged.

The minor boy had admitted before the CWC that his father, mother and their associates had been kidnapping children and using them for begging. A chargesheet was then submitted against eight persons. The Ganjam SP had also submitted that the minor girl was rescued by GRP, Berhampur and the accused had confessed to the crime.

The NHRC had asked the government to take preventive measures and submit a comprehensive report by September last year. Since the report has not been submitted yet, the rights panel in its December 28 order asked for personal appearance of Home Secretary and SP of Crime Branch. “If the the report is received by March 10, their personal appearance shall stand dispensed with,” the order added.

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