Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, April 9 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday raised alarm over the spread of child trafficking across the country, cautioning that the problem could worsen without urgent and coordinated action by state authorities.

Hearing a petition on the issue, a bench led by Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said organised trafficking networks were operating across multiple regions, underscoring the need for a more forceful response from police and administrative agencies.

While noting that the court could monitor progress, the judges emphasized that enforcement ultimately rests with state governments. 

They criticised what they described as a slow and uneven implementation of directives issued in a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling trafficking networks.

That ruling called for expedited trials in trafficking cases, improvements in investigative standards and the strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units. 

It also directed authorities to treat cases of missing children as potential trafficking incidents unless proven otherwise and to establish state-level committees to track vulnerable areas.

The court said compliance had been inconsistent. 

Several states and Union Territories have yet to submit reports in the required format, and at least 15 have not constituted oversight committees to identify trafficking hotspots.

In earlier observations, the bench had dismissed some compliance filings as inadequate. 

On Wednesday, it warned that continued lapses could lead to states being formally categorised as non-compliant.

Despite the concerns, the judges noted that successful rescues in some cases demonstrate that effective intervention is possible when agencies act decisively.

The case is scheduled for further hearing later this month.