National commission for Scheduled Tribe issues notice to Delhi, Chhattisgarh police in Bastar girl trafficking case

RAIPUR: Days after a tribal girl from Bastar was rescued after eight years of confinement from a house in New Delhi, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has issued notice to Chhattisgarh and Delhi police, directing them to furnish all facts and information within seven days as to why the provisions of SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act and Bonded Labour Act were not invoked against accused.
The notice was issued after a Supreme Court lawyer and Delhi-based NGO Shakti Vahini’s president Ravi Kant, who had jointly rescued the girl with state police, complained against the cops for not registering case of bonded labour, illegal confinement, forced labour and violation of provision of SC/ST Act 1989, despite the girl's statement.
The girl had stated that she was minor at the time of trafficking and was forced to work in bonded condition. While she was not allowed to travel back to her village Mormed in Bijapur district, she was kept in continuous confinement. She did not get any wage to work as domestic labour in households in Delhi.
According to the notice issued by commission’s director KD Bhansor, if they don’t receive reply within stipulated time, it may exercise powers of civil court, conferred on it under Article 338 A of Constitution.
Ravi Kant has also written to state CID alleging that investigation officer Rajesh Joshi had lodged no FIR against anyone even after 10 days of girl’s rescue, which should have been done soon after taking her statement.
“The officer has also revealed identity of 'trafficked' survivor which is violation of fundamental rights of the girl,” Ravi Kant added.
The rescued girl, who cops say, is 24-year-old, had earlier told TOI that she was 16 and that she was trafficked at the age of eight.
Role of investigation officer is also under suspicion in trying to prove the girl above 18 right from the day she was trafficked. Talking to TOI, Bijapur SP Dhruv admitted that the FIR was yet to be lodged.
CID OSD PN Tiwari said that he was gathering information and investigating allegations made in the case. The notice is yet to reach offices of DGP and Bijapur SP.
AHTU in Bastar:
Taking cognizance of TOI's report published on June 17, which highlighted that Bastar was also hub for child trafficking after Jashpur, ministry of home affairs has issued orders to introduce new Anti-Human Trafficking Units in Bastar, Kanker, Dantewada and Kondagaon.
While Jharkhand government has taken serious cognizance with increasing number of trafficking of tribal girls, it is also planning to sign MoU with Chhattisgarh, it being another affected state. Under the MoU, states will mutually disburse responsibilities to trace trafficked children of respective states, get hold of traffickers and tie-up during conducting raids, sources in Jharkhand police said after an inter-state meeting was convened in Delhi on Thursday.