Bombay HC to govt: Set up anti-trafficking cells

The central and state government have been issued notices by the Bombay high court, following a public interest litigation that seeks the setting up of anti-trafficking cells for the rescue and rehabilitation of victims of cross-border trafficking.

Notices were issued by a division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice Roshan Dalvi while hearing a PIL filed by city-based NGO, India Centre for Human Rights and Law, with support from Maiti, a Nepali organisation working against cross-border trafficking.

The NGOs have stated that the women from Nepal and Bangladesh are trafficked to other countries via India. These women are apprehended at Mumbai’s international airport and charged under the Passport Act for possessing fake passports. At present, 69 such Nepali women are undergoing trial in Mumbai.
The PIL contends that in India, victims of trafficking are convicted. This is contrary to provisions of international conventions such as Palermo and SAARC in Colombo. The Central Women and Child Development Department has laid guidelines for rescue of children who are victims of trafficking and commercial sex exploitation. Singh argued that the government should similarly come out with guidelines for women who are being trafficked.
The court has kept the PIL for hearing after two weeks.