The Allahabad high court (HC) has directed the district magistrate (DM), the chairman, and the district legal services authority (DLSA) of Chitrakoot to probe the alleged forced sexual exploitation of minor girls from tribal families working in illegal mines in that district for survival and submit their separate reports by July 28.
The HC bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice SD Singh, passed the order while taking cognisance of an e-mail sent by Dr Abhishek Atrey, a Delhi- based lawyer.
The e-mail was addressed to Chief Justice Mathur and was treated as a petition for a writ in the public interest by the HC bench.
The petition cited media reports in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls in Chitrakoot, and levelled allegations pertaining to the blatant violation of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.
As per some media reports, minor girls from poor tribal families are forced to work in illegal mines for survival, but the contractors and middlemen don’t pay their wages on time.
These girls are allegedly forced to trade off their bodies in a bid to get their meagre wages.
{{/usCountry}}These girls are allegedly forced to trade off their bodies in a bid to get their meagre wages.
{{/usCountry}}The court has directed its registry to send a notice of the petition to the DM, the chairman, the DLSA of Chitrakoot by facsimile within two days and fixed July 28 as the next date of hearing in the case.