SC Bats For Dedicated Online Portal To Trace Missing Children

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to create a dedicated online portal under the Union Home Ministry to streamline efforts in tracing and investigating cases of missing children across the country.

A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan observed that there is a glaring lack of coordination among state and Union Territory police authorities tasked with locating missing children.

The judges emphasized the need for a “coordinated effort”, noting that fragmented investigations often delay recovery and justice.

The court said the portal should have a dedicated officer from each state, who would oversee missing complaints, act as the nodal point for investigations, and ensure effective dissemination of information.

Centre Asked To Respond

The bench asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Union government, to seek instructions regarding the creation of the portal.

The court had earlier directed the Centre to issue reminders to states and Union Territories that have not furnished comprehensive data on missing children cases, despite repeated requests.

Role Of NGO In The Case

The matter reached the apex court through a petition filed by NGO Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, which highlighted the persistent issue of unresolved cases of kidnapping and missing children.

The NGO pointed to shortcomings in the existing “Khoya/Paya” portal, which is already monitored by the Government of India but, according to the petition, lacks proper follow-up action and coordination among states.

Example Cases Cited

To strengthen its case, the NGO cited 5 incidents from Uttar Pradesh in 2023, where minors were allegedly kidnapped and trafficked through organized networks of middlemen.

The petition stated that the children were transported to states such as Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, underscoring the interstate dimension of trafficking and the urgent need for a centralized mechanism to track and curb such crimes.

What Lies Ahead

The proposed portal, if created, could serve as a single-window digital system for:

1. Registering and tracking missing child complaints,
2. Enabling swift coordination between states, and
3. Facilitating faster investigations with accountability.

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