LI Network
Published on: 12 September 2023 at 14:32 IST
The Delhi High Court has issued a directive to the Delhi government, compelling them to disclose their efforts in rehabilitating children rescued from begging on the streets.
Additionally, the Court has mandated the submission of a comprehensive status report detailing the situation of children in conflict with the law who have been rescued and placed in various rehabilitation centers.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula has ruled, “The Government of NCT of Delhi is also directed to file a detailed status report within six weeks providing information regarding children in conflict with the law rescued by the Government and housed in various rehabilitation centers, steps taken by the Government for rehabilitation of such children, and an assessment of the long-term impact of such centers upon children in its care.”
This action by the Court comes in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at eradicating child begging in Delhi. Earlier, the Court had issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government, and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR).
The petitioner argued that despite the implementation of various schemes and programs by different agencies, commissions, and government bodies, the issue of child begging persists in Delhi.
The Court recognized the need to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures in addressing this serious social concern.
The case is scheduled for further hearing on October 13, 2023. In August 2022, the Delhi High Court had directed the Centre, Delhi government, and DCPCR to disclose the steps they had taken to rescue and rehabilitate children found begging on the streets.
The petitioner had called for authorities to rehabilitate beggar children and take action against those involved in forcing women, including toddlers, teenage girls, and small children, into begging and criminal activities. He alleged that despite beggars being prevalent throughout the city, authorities had not taken sufficient measures to address this problem.
The petitioner asserted that begging mafias were responsible for this issue, engaging in the abduction, training, coercion, and mistreatment of innocent children for begging.
The DCPCR counsel had previously stated that they conduct regular checks and rescue and rehabilitate children found begging on the streets.
The petition also highlighted instances where young girls intentionally harm small children or administer sedatives to them to gain sympathy from the public, even at the risk of the lives of toddlers as young as 9-12 months.
The petition argued that the Constitution obliges the State to make efforts to provide the best opportunities for children’s development and to ensure that they are not subjected to abuse.
