NHRC directs Odisha CS to ensure probe, monitoring of trafficking, sexual abuse of children

By Suchitra Kalyan Mohanty
NHRC directs Odisha CS to ensure probe, monitoring of trafficking, sexual abuse of children
New Delhi [India], April 25 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Odisha Chief Secretary and DGP to ensure that all such cases involving trafficking of children are monitored and investigated at an appropriate level and the victims are properly rehabilitated, while hearing a case of Poor Children being trafficked, exploited sexually, physically and mentally by women and a former Model in Bhubaneswar and other parts of Odisha.
Acting on a petition and subsequent submissions filed by Supreme Court lawyer and noted human rights activist, Radhakanta Tripathy, the Apex human rights panel passed the order.
In the plea, Tripathy said that one Narayan Dash, Bariguda, Ganjam had allegedly kidnapped a eight-year-old girl from her village while she was witnessing a festival on the occasion of Kartika Purnima. Narayan took the girl to Burupada and sexually exploited her. Next day, he engaged her for begging at different places after selling her earring for two thousand rupees to buy a mobile phone.
Tripathy also submitted that a former model has been spotted for engaging minors from a Bhubaneswar based slum in a begging racket and extorting money from them.
"It is a failure of the Odisha government in dealing with children being used for begging, sexual abuse and drugs trade," the plea of Tripathy, added.
Pursuant to the earlier directions of the NHRC, the Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, CID, Cuttack, Odisha, has informed that a compensation of Rs 1,50,000 has already been paid to the victim.
Enquiry report from DCP, Bhubaneswar revealed that during investigation, two minor boys namely 12-year old, Sana (Mithun Majhi), and Chingudu Gadanayak (10), were rescued and handed over to their parents.
The accused Jitendra Kumar Pattanaik, who was a model, involved in such illegal activities was also arrested and forwarded to judicial custody. Another accused Narayan (Sankar Dash) has been also convicted and sentenced to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment with fine.
It has also been further submitted that the state government has taken number of effective steps to deal with such type of issues and a comprehensive study on the child trafficking in Odisha has also been got conducted by the government.
Necessary instructions have also been given to the concerned authorities including Odisha Police and comprehensive steps are being taken to deal with the issue of trafficking of children in the State.
Earlier, hearing the complaints of Tripathy, the NHRC observed that the problem of trafficking of children for various illegal purposes is endemic in Odisha which needs strict and immediate government interventions.The State authorities informed the NHRC that, the scheme of "The Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme, 2017' has been notified and Anti human trafficking units has been constituted, police officer designated as Child Welfare Officer in each Police Station and Juvenile Police Unit in each district of the state has been constituted.
Earlier the NHRC in its order stated that "In case, the report is not received in the Commission on or before March 10, 2021, their personal appearances shall stand dispensed with."