Anti-begging drive: DNA tests of children begin in Ludhiana

So far, documents for two children have been received, and one child has already been reunited with their parents after successful verification

Six of the 18 children rescued from begging earlier this week underwent DNA testing along with four accompanying adults at the Civil Hospital here on Wednesday. This crucial step aims to ascertain the true parentage of children whose guardians could not provide credible claims, according to DCPO Saini.

The initiation of DNA testing follows the establishment of a committee by deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

For the remaining 12 children, guardians have asserted parentage and are in the process of submitting documents such as Aadhaar Cards, birth certificates, and school certificates for verification. So far, documents for two children have been received, and one child has already been reunited with their parents after successful verification. “Guardians are approaching us with documents. We will verify those to ascertain parentage. So far we have received documents for two kids and one of them has already been handed back to the parents,” Saini stated.

The initiation of DNA testing follows the establishment of a committee by deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain on Tuesday. This committee, comprising the district child protection officer and representatives from the police commissioner and civil surgeon, was formed to ensure the seamless execution of DNA testing under Project Jeevanjot 2.0, an initiative designed to combat child trafficking and exploitation. This move came after an earlier attempt at DNA testing on Monday faced obstacles due to a lack of clear guidelines.

The district administration rescued the 18 children during city-wide raids aimed at cracking down on child trafficking. Currently, all rescued children are being housed at the Children Home in Doraha.

Project JeevanJyot 2.0 outlines a clear path forward: “If DNA tests match, the child shall be restored to the family. The authorities shall issue a warning to the family to not indulge the child into begging. The DCPO shall provide counselling to the family to enroll the children in schools and about the ill effects of keeping the child on streets.” Should parents persist in involving the child in begging, the draft states they will be declared “unfit guardians,” and “The child shall be sent to Children Home and the child shall be declared legally free for adoption.”

Conversely, if DNA test results are negative, the Child Welfare Committee will initiate legal action by filing an FIR under relevant legislation such as the BNS, Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, or Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, against the adults found accompanying them. Additionally, the child’s photos and details will be uploaded on the ‘Track the Child’ portal to aid in tracing their biological parents for rehabilitation.