SC seeks response from Centre, NCPCR, NHRC on PIL for ban on employment of children in dance troupes, spas

'For spas and massage parlours, some states have made rules of 18 years as the minimum age,' senior advocate H S Phoolka said.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre, child rights body NCPCR, and the NHRC on a PIL seeking an absolute ban on the employment of children and adolescents in orchestras, dance troupes, massage parlours, and spas.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi heard senior advocate H S Phoolka, who represented the child rights collective ‘Just Rights for Children Alliance’ (JRCA).

Phoolka argued that girls, aged 10 and 11, were employed in orchestras and dance bars.

“For spas and massage parlours, some states have made rules of 18 years as the minimum age,” he said.

The bench took note of Phoolka’s submissions and issued notices to the Union Ministries of Labour and Law and Justice.

The court termed the situation "serious". It also issued notices to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Human Rights Commission on the plea.

The plea sought issuance of mandamus or appropriate directions directing the central government to exercise its powers under Section 4 of the Child and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986, to include the employment or performance of children below 18 years in orchestras, dance bars, dance troupes, nautanki performances, massage parlours, spas, and salons, or any similar establishments that depict children in obscene or exploitative manner in Part A of the Schedule to CALPRA, thereby categorically prohibiting such employment.

The petition alleged that these sectors had evolved into "clandestine fronts" for organised trafficking, sexual exploitation, and forced labour of minor girls across the country.

Just Rights for Children is the country’s largest network working on child protection and child rights, with more than 250 NGO partners across India.

The petition contended that this legislative gap has enabled organized trafficking networks to operate such establishments as fronts for the commercial sexual exploitation, forced labour and abuse of children below 18 years of age, particularly minor girls.

The network sought the transfer of massage parlours from Part B to Part A of the Schedule and inclusion of Orchestra, dance bars, dance troupes, spas and other similar establishments to be included in Part A of the Schedule under CALPRA to ensure an absolute prohibition on child labour in these sectors.

Emphasising the gravity and scale of the issue, Rachna Tyagi, General Counsel of Just Rights for Children, said,.“Today marks a very significant day in India’s child protection ecosystem. The employment of children in such establishments is not merely labour exploitation, but often a gateway to trafficking, sexual abuse and organized criminality."

The petitioner further urged the apex court to direct NCPCR to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of children found working in such establishments.

The PIL highlighted that the present “legislative vacuum” allows traffickers to disguise systematic exploitation as lawful employment, while leaving rescued children vulnerable to re-trafficking.

“It is appalling that since December 2025, 11 successive raids, including nine raids in orchestras and two raids in massage parlours, conducted by the petitioner and its partners, have resulted in the rescue of 85 minors from orchestras and five minors from massage parlours, aggregating to 90 minors,” the PIL stated.

The petition also pointed out that, in coordination with police authorities across Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Delhi, Just Rights for Children and its partners have rescued 212 minors from orchestras and 12 minors from massage parlours and spas between March 2025 and May 2026.