Child rights panel asked to probe kids' trafficking

New Delhi, March 31

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to probe the suspected trafficking of children from northeastern states to Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the pretext of educating them.

"We would like to have an inquiry into the matter," said a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Deepak Verma and Justice B.S. Chauhan.

The bench also asked the child rights panel to apprise the court of its probe report in four weeks. The panel adjourned the matter for next hearing in May.

There is need for some investigation as children belonging to the poor families from northeastern regions were lured by some illegal organisations on the pretext of providing them better education, the bench remarked responding to the submission made by counsel Aparna Bhat in the case.

The apex court was hearing Bhat's application on the issue of recovery of 76 children from Assam and Manipur, who were lodged in an unregistered children's home in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.

http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a125221.html