Child Trafficking Rampant In Delhi, Says SC

The Supreme Court on Monday highlighted the prevalence of child trafficking in Delhi and directed the Centre to submit a report detailing the steps taken to address the issue. The remarks came during the hearing of criminal appeals against the Allahabad High Court’s decision to grant bail to several accused in an interstate child-trafficking case.

The case involves individuals accused of kidnapping, buying, and selling minor children, primarily from economically vulnerable backgrounds. The Allahabad High Court had granted bail to the accused between November and December 2023. However, in an order dated April 15, 2025, the Supreme Court revoked the bail and asked the accused to surrender.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan questioned the Centre on the current status of child trafficking cases in Delhi and what measures have been implemented to curb the crime. The bench expressed concern over the widespread nature of child trafficking in the capital.

The court criticized the High Court’s handling of the bail applications, calling it “callous” and said it should not have exercised discretion in favor of the accused. The bench noted that granting bail without proper conditions has allowed many accused to abscond, jeopardizing the trial process.

“The least that was expected of the High Court while granting bail was to impose a condition that the accused mark their presence weekly at the police station,” the court observed. Instead, the High Court only directed the accused to appear before the trial court, and none of the bail orders required regular police check-ins. This oversight led to the police losing track of the accused.

The bench also expressed disappointment with the Uttar Pradesh government for not seeking cancellation of bail or challenging the High Court’s orders. “The State has exhibited no seriousness worth the name,” the court said, questioning why no action was taken for an extended period.

Senior Advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing as amicus curiae, informed the court that the Allahabad High Court had released two accused in another child trafficking case. The Supreme Court asked to review those bail orders and scheduled the next hearing for August 18.

The court’s direction for a report from the Centre aims to clarify the government’s efforts to control child trafficking in Delhi amid ongoing concerns about the crime’s scale and the effectiveness of the legal process.