The Delhi High Court has directed the city government to disclose the measures taken to rehabilitate rescued children found begging on the streets.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula directed the Delhi government to submit a status report containing information on children in conflict with the law who have been rescued and placed in various rehabilitation centers.
“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 the rehabilitation of such children, and an assessment of the long-term impact of such centers upon children in its care,” the bench stated.
This decision was made during a hearing of a public interest litigation seeking to eradicate child begging in Delhi. The court had previously issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government, and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR).
The petitioner, Ajay Gautam, argued that despite the implementation of various schemes and programs by different agencies and government bodies, child begging remains prevalent in Delhi. The court stressed the importance of examining the effectiveness of various rehabilitation measures given the persistence of this serious social issue.
The matter has been scheduled for further consideration on October 13, 2023.
In August 2022, the high court had directed the Centre, city government, and DCPCR to disclose their efforts in rescuing and rehabilitating beggar children on Delhi’s streets.
The petitioner seeks directions for authorities to rehabilitate child beggars and identify and apprehend those involved in forcing women, including young girls and small children, into begging and other criminal activities. The petitioner alleges that despite the widespread presence of beggars in the city, authorities have failed to take adequate steps to curb the problem.
The plea highlights the active involvement of begging mafias in exploiting innocent children for begging, including kidnapping, training, forcing, and torturing them. The petition also points out that young girls intentionally harm small children to elicit sympathy from the public, even using sedatives, risking the lives of toddlers as young as 9-12 months.
The petition contends that the Constitution obligates the State to make efforts to provide the best opportunities for children’s development and ensure they are protected from abuse.
