Parents, avoid child traffickers, top court warns

• The Supreme Court has issued a warning to parents against gangs trafficking children for various crimes, including sexual exploitation, forced labor, begging, petty crimes, armed conflict, child marriage, and the sale of infants as inter-country adoption.

• Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan highlight the helplessness of child victims and their loved ones, often from the poorest sections of society.

• The court warns that a slight negligence or laxity can be extremely costly, highlighting the pain and agony parents may face when their children are lost to such gangs.

• The verdict was based on an appeal filed by victims’ parents against bail granted to 13 members of an inter-State child trafficking ring.

• The court also ordered hospitals to suspend their licenses and face legal action if newborns are found missing and trafficked.

• The court criticized the high waiting periods for adoption in India, stating that these have encouraged criminal networks to engage in large-scale abduction and sale of children.