PTI
NEW DELHI, March 30
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu Government over increasing cases of children going missing from different parts of the State.
The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that in Tamil Nadu, the number of missing children is on the rise. More than two children go missing every day in the State and as such, during the first three months of the current year, 271 children have gone missing from different parts of the State, said an NHRC statement.
Reportedly, police do not investigate these cases seriously as these missing children belong to poor segments of society.
Observing that “can there be a bigger pain for the parents and the little children than losing each other”, the Commission said that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim children and their parents.
Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Tamil Nadu calling for detailed reports in the matter. They have been given four weeks to respond.
“The Commission has also drawn their attention to the judgment of the Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil) No 75/2012 dated May 10, 2013 wherein a number of directions, including mandatory registration of FIRs and prompt investigation in the matter of missing children, were issued.
“The NHRC has issued a number of recommendations and guidelines on the issue of missing children, which were also noted by the Supreme Court while hearing the matter,” the statement said.
According to the media report, carried on March 23, the number of missing children cases in Tamil Nadu is on the rise, from 441 cases in 2014 to 656 children in 2015. In Chennai itself, 114 children went missing in 2014 and this number rose to 149 (including 71 girl children) in 2015. Reportedly, 58 children have gone missing from Chennai this year, so far.
Reportedly, the mafia that controls begging and even those involved in child prostitution and adoption rackets could be behind these disappearances, the statement said.
Although, begging is banned in Chennai seldom, any action is initiated against the practice. Beggars are often found accompanied by toddlers and infants. As of now, reportedly, there is no system in place to check the origin of these people and find out if the children accompanying them are legitimately related to them, it added.
