Will take action, rescue child labourers: Delhi govt tells HC

A bench comprising acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the issue is of ‘absolute priority’

The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government told the Delhi high court that it will take action to rescue minors trafficked from different parts of the country to the Capital and being forced to work as bonded labourers upon getting “actionable information”.

The plea said that most of the children trafficked work and stay with the employer, and are forced to work in extremely hazardous circumstances detrimental to their health and physical growth. (HT Archive)

A bench comprising acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the issue is of “absolute priority” and directed the government counsel to file an action taken report on the matter at the earliest. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the authorities to raid locations and rescue over 1,000 minors allegedly trafficked to Delhi, who are working as bonded labourers.

The petitioner in the case, Rohtas, who claimed to support the work of an NGO, said that he has sent 18 complaints to authorities to conduct raids at various properties in Delhi and rescue 245 children and 772 adolescents who are being forced to work as bonded labourers in unsafe and unhygienic conditions for 12-13 hours daily.

However, during the hearing, Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi informed the bench that in pursuance to the court’s last order, the sub-divisional magistrate held a meeting with the petitioner but no “actionable information” was shared with the officer.

Kumar added that the petitioner had not given the proper addresses of the properties where the children allegedly worked, without which it was difficult to take action. The petitioner’s counsel, however, refuted the claims and said that the authorities never sought information from them and urged the court to fix a timeline to take action and rescue the minors.

The bench noted that there cannot be a “straightjacket formula” here and every situation demands different action. “Let us trust them (authorities) and hope that action will be taken. Things work on mutual trust. You give information to Mr Tripathi... This is of absolute priority. Involve some senior officials and get it done,” the bench said.

The court asked the petitioner to share the information with Tripathi in a sealed cover during the day.

The court had earlier issued notice to the Delhi government, department of revenue, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on the petition. The plea said that most of the children trafficked work and stay with the employer, and are forced to work in extremely hazardous circumstances detrimental to their health and physical growth.

The PIL said that it has been more than two months since the complaints were first sent to the authorities concerned and multiple reminders were also sent to eight district magistrates and 16 SDMs in Delhi, but no action has been taken by the administration.

The law mandates that rescue in such cases is to be conducted within 24 to 48 hours, it said.