'Probe if cases of missing kids linked to organised networks'

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to examine whether cases of missing children across India indicate a nationwide trafficking network or operations of state-specific groups.

- SUCHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY

Hearing a PIL by NGO Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, the Bench noted an alarming rise in untraced children in several states and said the issue demanded close scrutiny.

The petition highlighted unresolved cases of kidnapping and trafficking, including five cases registered in Uttar Pradesh last year. In those cases, minor boys and girls were allegedly abducted and moved through an organised chain of intermediaries to Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The plea said, “This is a very serious issue and needs to be probed thoroughly.”