JOIN US'Give greater focus on missing girls cases'
Keeping in mind the rising cases of missing adolescent girls, the Centre has now asked states to make "all-out and timely interventions" to protect girls from falling prey to human trafficking networks and other crime rackets.
In an advisory sent to states and Union territories, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has asked them to intimate it about the action taken by it on ensuring safety to girls.
The MHA asked the states to "give greater focus" on cases relating to missing adolescent girls and "make all-out and timely interventions" to protect these girls from "falling prey to any social abuse and organised crimes".
Referring to its previous advisories, the MHA said FIRs should be immediately registered and investigation taken up on a priority basis.
“In case of every missing child reported, there will be an initial presumption of either abduction or trafficking, unless, in the investigation, the same is proved otherwise,” it said.
Every child rescued should be immediately photographed for the purposes of advertisement and to make relatives of children aware of the developments.
“In case a missing child is not recovered within four months from the date of filing of the First Information Report, the matter may be forwarded to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in each state in order to enable the said unit to take more intensive investigation,” it said.
“Once the victim is rescued, the police should carry out further investigation to see whether there is an involvement of any trafficking in the procedure by which the child went missing and if, on investigation, such links are found, the police shall take appropriate action thereupon,” it said.
The MHA also referred to criticism by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) that the “level of sensitiveness and care with which crime against children should be handled is not up to the desired level”.