New Delhi: In a landmark judgment aimed at curbing the rising menace of child trafficking, the Supreme Court on Tuesday laid down stringent guidelines — including suspension of hospital licenses — to ensure accountability in cases of newborn abduction.
The verdict was delivered by a bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, who were hearing a plea challenging the bail granted to the accused in a child trafficking case. The Court minced no words while underlining the gravity of the issue and the need for strict institutional responsibility.
“If any newborn is trafficked from a hospital, the first step should be to suspend the license of such hospitals. If any lady comes to deliver a child to the hospital and the baby is stolen, the first step is suspension of license,” the bench observed in its order.
The apex court also came down heavily on the Allahabad High Court for its laxity in handling the matter. “The High Court dealt with bail applications callously and it led to many accused to abscond. These accused pose serious threat to society. Least which was required from High Court while granting bail was to impose a condition to mark presence in police station every week. The police lost track of all accused persons,” the bench stated, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
The Supreme Court did not spare the Uttar Pradesh government either, taking strong exception to the circumstances in which the accused acquired the trafficked child. “It appears the accused was longing for a son and then got a son for ₹4 lakh. If you desire a son… you cannot go for a trafficked child. He knew that the baby was stolen,” the bench remarked sternly.
To fast-track justice and ensure better monitoring, the Court directed High Courts across the country to expedite pending trials in child trafficking cases. “State governments shall take a look at the detailed recommendations by us and study the report which was submitted by Bhartiya Institute and implement the same at the earliest. High Courts across the country are directed to call for status of pending trial in child trafficking cases. Then directions shall be issued to complete trial in 6 months and also conduct day to day trial,” the Court ordered, as per the Bar and Bench report.
