SC rues lack of response from states on missing kids

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its displeasure over failure of the Centre and states to respond to a PIL, which sought capital punishment to those who kidnapped children for different reasons, including organ trade.

Noting that the official figure of missing children went over 75,000 in three years in 11 states, a bench of justices Ranjana Prakash Desai and N V Ramana said, “All states should take the matter seriously and show a little urgency by filing their response.”

“We are sad that states are not taking issues seriously. If they continue to do so, we have to call chief secretary of each state in the court,” the bench warned the counsel representing different states.

At the outset, the court was surprised over absence of any law officer from the Centre.
It passed over the matter seeking immediate presence of Attorney General.

After a while, Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi appeared before the court and sought three weeks to make a formal reply.

Before adjourning the matter, the court reminded him that the issue has been pending for last two years.

Earlier, the court refused a plea made by petitioner-advocate Sarwa Mitter for an interim order saying let the states file their reply.

The petitioner sought direction to constitute a committee to keep a watch over missing children and to suggest stricter punishment of death sentence to the child kidnappers.

It also urged direction to all state chief secretaries and police heads to file affidavits detailing the FIR as well as the progress in investigation of the cases of missing children.

He claimed that the state police machinery had failed to rescue the children, who are kidnapped to force them into bootlegging, smuggling, prostitution and organ trade etc.