New Anti-Trafficking Law Set for Launch
Binoy Prabhakar
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New Delhi:
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Draft bill calls for the creation of a special court and investigation agency to tackle human trafficking cases in India
The government is about to unveil a new bill that aims to check human trafficking by unifying several existing laws, meting out tougher punishment for repeat offenders and ensuring the protection and rehabilitation of victims.Besides creating a comprehensive law against trafficking, the draft bill calls for the creation of a special court and investigation agency to tackle such cases and joint working groups with neighbouring countries to undertake preventive measures.
“There is a clear rise in cases of human trafficking in India, with people being trafficked not just for sexual exploitation but also for forced labour,“ a senior official of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, which prepared the draft bill, told ET. “We will finally have a structured mechanism to deal with this growing menace.“
Up to 5,466 cases of human trafficking were reported in 2014, an increase of more than 90% since 2009, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.The US Department of State's `2013 Trafficking in Persons Report' estimates that up to 65 million people were trafficked for forced labour in India. It said 90% of trafficking in India is internal.
At present, hu man trafficking cases are dealt with by a hodge podge of laws and multiple agenci es. These laws, in cluding the Im moral Traffic (Prevention) Act, sections of the In dian Penal Code, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the Pro tection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, are inadequate because they gloss over prevention or fail to address trafficking beyond sexual exploitation, according to experts.
The draft bill will address these loopholes by bringing forced labour under the ambit of law and by working with the governments of Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar to curb trafficking, said the official. To act as a deterrent, the bill proposes to double the jail term to 14 years for repeat offenders and people engaged in the trafficking of minors.
“It is a comprehensive legislation that will tackle the entire gamut of organised crime of human trafficking,“ said Sunitha Krishnan of Prajwala, an NGO based in Hyderabad that has been pushing for a new trafficking law. “It also provides support to victims, which our existing laws didn't.“
The bill proposes to create a rehabilitation fund for victims. It provides for the protection of victims and witnesses by enabling their participation in trials by video conferencing, ending the practice of summoning them to open courts. If victims feel threatened during trials, they can approach a court and seek protection.
A special court will be established a sessions court judge will be designated as a special judge to handle trafficking cases. The specialised investigation agency to probe trafficking cases could be a new body or a new wing of an existing agency. The bill is being vetted by the law ministry and will be released this week for consultations and collecting feedback from the public, experts and state governments.
“There is a clear rise in cases of human trafficking in India, with people being trafficked not just for sexual exploitation but also for forced labour,“ a senior official of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, which prepared the draft bill, told ET. “We will finally have a structured mechanism to deal with this growing menace.“
Up to 5,466 cases of human trafficking were reported in 2014, an increase of more than 90% since 2009, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.The US Department of State's `2013 Trafficking in Persons Report' estimates that up to 65 million people were trafficked for forced labour in India. It said 90% of trafficking in India is internal.
At present, hu man trafficking cases are dealt with by a hodge podge of laws and multiple agenci es. These laws, in cluding the Im moral Traffic (Prevention) Act, sections of the In dian Penal Code, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and the Pro tection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, are inadequate because they gloss over prevention or fail to address trafficking beyond sexual exploitation, according to experts.
The draft bill will address these loopholes by bringing forced labour under the ambit of law and by working with the governments of Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar to curb trafficking, said the official. To act as a deterrent, the bill proposes to double the jail term to 14 years for repeat offenders and people engaged in the trafficking of minors.
“It is a comprehensive legislation that will tackle the entire gamut of organised crime of human trafficking,“ said Sunitha Krishnan of Prajwala, an NGO based in Hyderabad that has been pushing for a new trafficking law. “It also provides support to victims, which our existing laws didn't.“
The bill proposes to create a rehabilitation fund for victims. It provides for the protection of victims and witnesses by enabling their participation in trials by video conferencing, ending the practice of summoning them to open courts. If victims feel threatened during trials, they can approach a court and seek protection.
A special court will be established a sessions court judge will be designated as a special judge to handle trafficking cases. The specialised investigation agency to probe trafficking cases could be a new body or a new wing of an existing agency. The bill is being vetted by the law ministry and will be released this week for consultations and collecting feedback from the public, experts and state governments.
Source: Economic Times, 23-05-2016
