Supreme Court – Daily Orders
Pinki vs The State Of Uttar Pradesh on 26 February, 2026
1
ITEM NO.19 COURT NO.7 SECTION II
S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Miscellaneous Application No. 729/2025 in Crl.A. No. 1927/2025
PINKI Petitioner(s)
VERSUS
THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ANR. Respondent(s)
[ TO BE TAKEN UP AS FIRST MATTER ON BOARD.]
WITH
Diary No(s). 20521/2025 (II)
IA No. 98701/2025 - INTERVENTION APPLICATION
Date : 26-02-2026 This petition was called on for hearing today.
CORAM :
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE J.B. PARDIWALA
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K.V. VISWANATHAN
For Petitioner(s) : By Courts Motion
Ms. Aparna Bhat, Amicus Curiae, Sr. Adv.
Mr. Mayank Sapra, AOR
Ms. Karishma Maria, Adv.
Ms. Lalima Das, Adv.
Mr. Gopal Krishna, Adv.
For Respondent(s) :
Mr. Garvesh Kabra, AOR
Mr. Vikas Bansal, Adv.
Mrs. Pooja Kabra, Adv.
Mrs. Nikita Kabra Jaju, Adv.
Mr. Ankur Agnihotri, Adv.
Mrs. Shubhangi Tuli, AOR
Mr. Sanjai Kumar Pathak, AOR
Mrs. Shashi Pathak, Adv.
Mr. Arvind Kumar Tripathi, Adv.
Signature Not Verified
Mr. Robin Kumar, Adv.
Digitally signed by
VISHAL ANAND
Date: 2026.03.03
Ms. Shweta Jayshankar Dwivedi, Adv.
16:46:27 IST
Reason:
Mr. Varinder Kumar Sharma, AOR
Mr. Mukesh Kumar Maroria, AOR
2
Mr. Mukesh Kr. Verma, Adv.
Ms. Indira Bhakar, Adv.
Mr. Santosh Ramdurg, Adv.
Mr. Yogesh Vats, Adv.
Mr. Shreekant Neelappa Terdal, AOR
Mr. Avijit Mani Tripathi, AOR
Mr. T.k. Nayak, Adv.
Ms. Marbiang Khongwir, Adv.
Mr. Aditya Kumar, Adv.
Mr. Sameer Abhyankar, AOR
Ms. Yachna Sharma, Adv.
Ms. Arushi Chopra, Adv.
Ms. Eliza Barr, Adv.
Ms. Disha Singh, AOR
Ms. Nidhi Mittal, AOR
Ms. Jaya Choudhary, Adv.
Mr. Aravindh S., AOR
Ms. Anika Bansal, Adv.
Mr. Aman Panwar, A.A.G.
Mr. Naveen Sharma, AOR
Mrs. Swati Bhushan Sharma, Adv.
Mr. S.k. Sharma, Adv.
Mr. Abhinav Kumar, Adv.
Mr. Manav Kaushik, Adv.
Ms. Payal Gola, Adv.
Mr. P. I. Jose, AOR
Mr. Prashant Shrikant Kenjale, AOR
Mr. Ahantham Henry, Adv.
Mr. Ahantham Rohen Singh, Adv.
Mr. Mohan Singh, Adv.
Mr. Aniket Rajput, Adv.
Ms. Khoisnam Nirmala Devi, Adv.
Mr. Yeshu Mehha, Adv.
Mr. Tanay Hegde, Adv.
Mr. Kumar Mihir, AOR
Mr. Yashvardhan, Adv.
Mr. Apoorv Shukla, AOR
Ms. Prabhleen A. Shukla, Adv.
Mr. Amit Sharma, AOR
3
Ms. K. V. Bharathi Upadhyaya, AOR
Ms. Pritama, Adv.
Ms. Shaivani Gupta, Adv.
Dr. Sunita, Adv.
Mr. Bipin Vinayak Chandan, Adv.
Mr. Sufyan Hasan, Adv.
Ms. Hema Malik, Adv.
Mr. Gopal Jha, AOR
Ms. Shrieesha Sharma, Adv.
Mr. Tilak Vij, Adv.
Mr. Sawan Datta, Adv.
Mr. Nimish Arjaria, Adv.
Mr. Shreyash Bhardwaj, Adv.
Mr. Umesh Kumar Yadav, Adv.
Mr. Abhikalp Pratap Singh, AOR
Ms. Aagam Kaur, Adv.
Mr. Kartikey, Adv.
Ms. Kashish Jain, Adv.
Mr. Siddharth Garg, Adv.
Ms. Enakshi Mukhopadhyay Siddhanta, AOR
Mr. Pukhrambam Ramesh Kumar, AOR
Ms. Karun Sharma, Adv.
Mrs. Anupama Ngangom, Adv.
Ms. Rajkumari Divyasana, Adv.
UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following
O R D E R
1. The matter has come up before us today for reporting
compliance of various directions issued by us vide our Judgment and
Order dated 15.04.2025 in Criminal Appeal No.1927/2025. We had
directed all the State Governments to report compliance of our
directions.
2. We take notice of the fact that so far, the following State
Governments have not forwarded and placed their reports on record:-
LIST OF STATES/UTs WHO HAVE NOT FILED ANY COMPLIANCE
AFFIDAVIT/STATUS REPORT TILL DATES. State/UT who have not filed compliance
affidavit/status report as on
No.
25.02.2026
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Bihar
3. Gujarat
4
4. Himachal Pradesh
5. Jharkhand
6. Madhya Pradesh
7. Nagaland
8. Rajasthan
9. Tamil Nadu
10. Telangana
11. Uttarakhand
12. West Bengal
13. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
14. Lakshadweep
3. We take a serious view of the matter insofar as all those
State Governments who have failed to furnish their compliance
reports till this date.
4. Even those State Governments who have placed their compliance
reports on record, we are not at all satisfied with the contents of
the same. Whatever has been reported is nothing but an eye wash. We
would like to remind all the State Governments of our directions as
contained in paragraph ‘81’ of the main judgment. Directions reads
thus:-
a. We direct the Chief Judicial Magistrate District Varanasi
and the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court No. 5
District Varanasi to commit all the three criminal cases
referred to in para 9 of this judgment to the sessions
court, within a period of two weeks from today without
fail.
b. Upon all the three criminal cases being committed to the
court of sessions, the concerned trial court shall proceed
to frame charge against individual accused persons within a
period of one week thereafter.
c. If it is brought to the notice of the trial court that some
of the accused persons have absconded or their whereabouts
are not known, the trial court shall take steps immediately
to secure their presence by issuing non-bailable warrant
etc. The trial of the absconding accused shall be separated
in accordance with law so that the trial of the other co-
accused persons do not get delayed.
d. Once the charge is framed by the trial court in individual
cases, the concerned trial court shall proceed with the
recording of the evidence preferably on day-to-day basis
and complete the proceedings of the trial within a period
of six months.
e. We direct the State Government to appoint three special
public prosecutors for the purpose of conducting of the
5trials well versed in criminal trials at the earliest.
f. We also direct the State Government to provide police
protection to the victims and their families pending the
trial at the earliest so as to prevent tampering of the
evidence.
g. We grant two months’ time to the State Police to trace out
all those accused persons who have absconded and are on the
run. They shall be apprehended and produced before the
court concerned at the earliest.
h. We direct the State Government to ensure that the
trafficked children are admitted in schools in accordance
with the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and continue to provide
support for their education.
i. At the end of the trial, the concerned trial court shall
pass appropriate orders as regards compensation to the
victims under the provisions of the BNSS 2023 including
under the Uttar Pradesh Rani Laxmi Bai Mahila Evam Bal
Samman Kosh managed by the Land Welfare Committee.
j. All the State Governments across the country are directed
to look into the report of BIRD dated 12.04.2023 more
particularly the recommendations, as reproduced by us in
para 34 of this judgment.
k. All the State Governments are directed to study the entire
report and start implementing each of the recommendations
by working out appropriate modalities in that regard.
l. We direct all the High Courts across the country to call
for the necessary information as regards the status of the
pending trials relating to child trafficking. Once each of
the High Courts is able to collect the necessary data as
regards the status of the trials, a circular thereafter
shall be issued on its administrative side to all the
concerned trial courts to complete the trials within a
period of six months from the date of the circular and if
need be, by conducting the trials on day-to-day basis. Each
of the High Courts shall thereafter forward a report to
this Court as regards the compliance of the directions
contained in the circular.
m. Non-compliance of our directions or any laxity of any
nature in that regard on the part of any of the authorities
shall be viewed very strictly and if need be, they shall be
proceeded for contempt.”
5. We heard Ms. Aparna Bhat, the learned Amicus and Ms. Archana
Pathak Dave, the learned Additional Solicitor Genera appearing for
the Union of India.
6. The first thing that the learned Amicus brought to our notice
is that the State Governments are obliged to report compliance of
specific directions with respect to the bird recommendations.
7. In our main judgment, we had dealt with the recommendations of
the bird in paragraph ‘34’.
6
8. Paragraph ‘34’ reads thus:-
“1. Law enforcement officials should treat cases of missing
children as abduction or trafficking until proven otherwise
as per Direction of The Supreme Court in 2013 and search
for these people in every possible location. When children
disappear, Law EAs should start the missing person’s
process, look into what happened, disseminate information,
and conduct investigations, collaborating with other
agencies as needed.
2. About 31 percent Parent respondents reported that their
children were working in hazardous industries-
metallurgical industries, coal, fertilizers, mining,
chemical & petrochemicals, cement and firecracker
workshops. We recommend that provisions of The Juvenile
Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000: and
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986:
should be implemented in letter and sprits. Violators
should be punished. Regular check of hazardous
industries/units must be carried out by the Labour
Inspectors.
3. The idea of community policing needs to be made more
widely known in order for people and non-governmental
organisations to get involved in policing to stop and
combat the trafficking of women and children.
4. Anti-Human Trafficking units (AHTUs) are currently
under-resourced as well as undertrained. There is an urgent
need for additional Capacity Building of AHTUs and
Providing them adequate funds and infrastructure because
“the police lack the means to undertake a thorough
investigation if the person is trafficked from another
state.”
5. To address the issue and protect the rights of victims
and survivors, comprehensive legislation is required due to
the underreporting of human trafficking instances and gaps
in other laws. For law enforcement organisations, there is
a need for an extensive training and capacity-building
programme on the topic of human trafficking. It should be
made mandatory for AHTU or the Police to report every case
of human trafficking.
6. We advise the police to use the following strategies to
win the trust of victims: Assuring victims that they are
not the subject of an inquiry Victims deserve to be treated
with respect and decency. Employ a translator if the
victims speak different languages, ensuring that the
victim’s identity and privacy are protected by taking all
necessary precautions; Keep the accused far enough away
from the victims to be safe. Check to see if Section 228 A
of the IPC and Section 21 of the JJ Act are being followed;
Inform the victims of the investigation’s development; Keep
in mind that the victim takes all of their belongings with
them. Do not take offence if traumatised victims behave
inappropriately or refuse to interact. Avoid, among other
7
things, using derogatory language or making humiliating
gestures or body language. Police officers may be able to
overcome these challenges using their knowledge, skilful
communication abilities, and information because it is also
a question of counselling and persuasion.
7. According to public prosecutors, the primary causes for
the low conviction rate include witnesses becoming hostile,
inadequate evidence, a long court process, an improper
charge sheet, and easy bail for traffickers. The problem of
insufficient evidence and improper charge sheet could be
addressed by conducting thorough investigations into human
trafficking instances. Because most witnesses and victims
become hostile during prosecution, more emphasis should be
placed on gathering Material Evidence, Medical Examination
of Victims, Suspects, Digital Videography of Investigations
& Statements of Victims and Documents Supplemented by
Forensic Evidences for filling a charge sheet instead of a
statement under section 161 of the Cr.P.C., as this will
almost certainly increase the chances of offenders being
convicted.
8. A qualified and experienced investigative agency, such
as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been
mandated to look into interstate and international
trafficking crimes, is urgently required for the proper
investigation of human trafficking cases. We support the
full capacity building of law enforcement and prosecuting
organisations, including providing them with state-of-the-
art methods and tools for obtaining information and
forensic evidence, as well as witness and victim
protection, which may lead to a more severe conviction.
9. Recruitment agencies, document forgers, brokers, brothel
owners, debt collectors, managers and owners of employment
agencies, corrupt immigration officials, consular staff,
embassy staff, law enforcement officers, border guards who
accept bribes in exchange for passports, visas, and safe
transit, and all others who are involved by their acts of
omission and commission that result in exploitation should
be dealt harshly under law.
10. In order to safeguard some victims of human
trafficking, prosecutors should set up child-friendly
courts, as is done in Telangana and West Bengal. Most of
the time, courts should employ video conferencing to hear
testimony from victims who have been reintegrated or
repatriated. Since it is essential for convicting
traffickers and criminals, victim and witness protection
should be carefully considered. Because of poor witness
protection and the drawn-out legal process, many victims
were reluctant to take part in trials against their
traffickers. As a result, it should be ensured that cases
are routinely reviewed by superior authorities.
11. To combat human trafficking, all states and territories
should establish an Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau at the
8
state capital level, as well as independent, non-
designated Anti- Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) at every
district level, and use of Women Help Desks to monitor
investigations at every police station by a Senior Officer
at State Level. Dedicated AHTUs are urgently needed because
some AHTUs lacked defined mandates, were not completely
focused on human trafficking, and often received requests
for assistance months later, limiting the effectiveness of
investigations. In a few cases, police allegedly freed
alleged sex traffickers on bond right away, allowing them
to focus on other crimes. Trafficking investigations are
lengthy and complex, and we believe that having full-time
resources devoted to these investigations are essential for
success. These officials also underscore the need to
provide and use undercover assets and to establish and
nurture informants and witnesses.
12. Ministry of Home Affairs should collaborate with the
Ministry of Railways. The Railway Board should be asked to
enlist the help of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and
the Government Railway Police (GRP) to combat human
trafficking at railway stations. They should instruct GRP
and RPF officials to remain watchful and alert when dealing
with such instances and mandatorily report each and every
case of Human trafficking.
13. Brothels ought to be shut down right away. A thorough
action plan needs to be created for this project.
Prostitutes and commercial sex workers need to be
rehabilitated into other fields in order to improve their
livelihoods. The relationship between police and owners of
brothels makes things worse. This nexus has to be broken up
as soon as feasible.
14. It is advised that rescue teams strictly follow rescue
protocols and include a representative from the Department
of Labor, representatives from the CWCs, a local non-
profit, a doctor, and a female police officer or volunteer.
Almost every stakeholder reported that police do not follow
standard rescue protocol.
15. Enforcing the law in relation to applicable Acts like
CLPRA, BLSA, IPTA, JJA, and IPC involves not only police
but also many other authorities involved in the Criminal
Justice System, such as executive magistrates, labour
officials, CWC members, and in-charges of Homes. In order
to strengthen the state’s investigation and prosecution
apparatus in this area, the State government should create
a time-bound action plan.
16. The development of all stakeholders’ capacities and a
regular programme of gender sensitization are absolutely
necessary.
17. A First Information Report should be filed in every
instance of child labour, the case should be thoroughly
investigated, and the offenders should be punished. As a
9
result, there is an urgent need to train and sensitise
labour department workers on the aforementioned issue.
18. The lack of an interpreter who is fluent in the
relevant local languages makes it difficult to care for
children who have been trafficked from different states. As
a result, professional interpreters are required in such
situations. At the district level, a database of competent
language interpreters should be kept and shared with law
enforcement agencies, service providers, and the courts.
19. CWCs must be established in each district as soon as
possible, according to available guidelines, and multiple
appointment practices should be strictly prohibited to
eliminate potential conflicts of interest. CWCs should
include those who work in the fields of law, medicine, and
psychology.
20. It is found that almost all CWCs are working in
inadequate sittings, some of which are seriously
inadequate. To deal with this, three different sorts of
sitting venue styles are utilised by several CWCs across
the nation. There are further unique sittings available,
including rotating and parallel sittings. Each, however,
offers a unique set of benefits and drawbacks. A mixed
sitting configuration of CWC is advised as needed.
21. The Act and the Rules do not currently provide any
procedures for case management during hearings. While some
CWCs successfully handle proceedings and financial flow,
others seem to be struggling and using
ineffective/inappropriate approaches. The necessary
authorities must create a flawless attendance system, such
as Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance, to prevent
prolonged absenteeism from CWC meetings because it
interferes with the evaluation of children’s rights.
22. Strong action against human traffickers should be
taken, including criminal penalties and the freezing of
their bank accounts. The unlawful assets amassed by
traffickers and other parties as a result of exploiting
trafficked victims should be seized and forfeited.
Human trafficking, particularly of minors, is a kind of
modern-day slavery that necessitates a holistic, multi-
sectoral strategy to address the problem’s complicated
dimensions. Law cannot be the exclusive device for dealing
with challenging social and economic issues. Given the
infancy of services to trafficked people, monitoring and
evaluation studies should be a part of any assistance
programme, both governmental and private. Anti-trafficking
legislation must be enforced properly, which necessitates
educating individuals about the laws in place so that these
rights are respected and upheld in practice. There are
provisions for victim confidentiality, in camera trial
(Section 327 CrPC), and compensation (Section 357 CrPC) in
the existing laws. These provisions should be applied in
10
relevant circumstances to protect victims’ rights. In
dealing with instances, the National Human Rights
Commission has a larger role to play, and it must make
recommendations and adopt remedial actions.”
9. A suggestion has been put forward by the learned Amicus that
the compliance with respect to the bird recommendations should be
in a particular format. The format is as under:-
A. PREVENTION Information required to
indicate compliance:
1 Mapping of vulnerable a. Identify areas where
areas and linking them to children have been
government schemes; trafficked in the last
Maintain migrant data base three years;
b. Government schemes
applicable to children
including schemes
ensuring right to
education, access to
medical care, mid-meal
schemes, vocational
training/skill- building
schemes;
c. Safe spaces for the
trafficked to stay;
d. Migrant data base at the
Panchayat Level;
2 Identify points of 1. Steps taken to identify
intervention taking help points of intervention;
from the community at the
village level
3 Create civil society
partnerships
4 Create a MIS for the data
on trafficked victims
5 Scrutinise digital spaces
to prevent advertising in
a veiled manner for sex
trafficking
6 Map and identify areas
where sexual exploitation
is carried out
11
7 Alert the growing use of
CSAM
B. RESCUE, REHABILITATION AND RE-INTEGRATION
1. Conduct rescue operations A. SOP for creating co-
and ensure the rescued ordination between the
survivors access the rescue team and the
government schemes departments implementing
schemes for the
trafficked;
2. Ensure adequate budgets
are made available for
management of Child Care
Institutions; Encourage
CSR spending on protection
of trafficked victims
3. Appoint mental health
service providers in the
child care institutions;
C. EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTION
1. Functional AHTUs must be m. What powers do the
set up in every district; AHTUs have;
n. Do they have power to
register FIRs
2. Set up child friendly A. Is there a vulnerable
Courts; witness court room;
B. Are there support persons
available;
3. Take action under section
18 of the Immoral Traffic
(Prevention) Act to close
brothels
4. CWCs must be established
in every district
5. Capacity building of law A. Nature of training;
enforcement must be B. Agencies appointed to
conducted on a regular conduct the training;
basis C. Frequency of the
training;
D. Updating training
materials and course
content;
10. The learned Amicus, thereafter, brought to our notice that
till this date, no orders of compensation have been passed.
12
11. It was brought to our notice that the Trial Courts dealing
with POCSO cases have forwarded all the applications pertaining to
compensation to the respective DLSAs. However, till this date, the
DLSAs have not passed any orders of compensation.
12. This aspect of the matter has been dealt with by us and more
particularly, the directions as contained in paragraph ‘81(h) and
(i)’ respectively. The same reads thus:-
“81(h). We direct the State Government to ensure that the
trafficked children are admitted in schools in accordance with
the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act, 2009 and continue to provide support for their
education.
81(i). At the end of the trial, the concerned trial court shall
pass appropriate orders as regards compensation to the victims
under the provisions of the BNSS 2023 including under the Uttar
Pradesh Rani Laxmi Bai Mahila Evam Bal Samman Kosh managed by
the Child Welfare Committee.”
13. The learned Amicus also brought to our notice the recent news
reports of the incidents pertaining to child or infant
trafficking/illegal Egg Donation. The details are as under:-
RECENT NEWS REPORTS OF INCIDENTS PERTAINING TO CHILD OR INFANT
TRAFFICKING/ILLEGAL EGG DONATIONS. Date of Brief Incident State/UT Details and progress
No. News in the case
Report
e. 21.05.2 In Thane, Maharashtra, five Maharashtra Date of
023 persons were arrested, Incident:
including intermediaries who 17.05.2023
tried to sell a 20-day-old FIR No.
boy. According to the 328/2023;
police, the arrested include registered on
the mother of the newborn, 17.05.2023
as well as a 61-year-old under IPC
doctor, Dr. Chitra Sections 370,
Jayprakash Chainani. The 34, 120(b)
police received a tip-off and JJ Act,
that a woman doctor of 2015,
Sections 80, (all
Ulhasnagar was selling
infants to needy couples. 81
P.S.:
[Nursing Home/Hospital Ulhasnagar,
involved] Thane
13
Place of
Incident:
Mahalakshmi
Nursing Home,
Kawaram
Chowk,
Ulhasnagar,
Dist. Thane
f. 07.12.2 Police in Delhi arrested Delhi No
025 five individuals, including information
a couple, for their yet
involvement in the
kidnapping and sale of a
1.5-month-old infant. The
child was abducted from
outside Seelampur Metro
station on 04.06.2025 when a
woman pretending to help the
mother, instead stole the
baby. The infant was later
sold to a couple for Rs. 1.5
lakh. The couple, who
already had four daughters,
admitted they wanted a male
child. The police rescued
the baby and returned him to
his mother
[No information furnished
till date]
g. 29.01.2 Kasimedu police in Chennai Tamil Nadu Date of
026 busted a child trafficking Incident:
racket by arresting nine 17.05.2023
individuals, including six FIR No. (1 ac
women and a village 30/2026; arres
administrative officer’s registered on
assistant with her husband. 17.05.2023
A one-month-old baby boy under
had been sold to a childless Sections
couple in Erode for Rs. 3.80 80,81, 87 of
lakh. The infant was rescued the JJ Act,
and placed in a 2015 and
government-run children’s Section 110
home in Nungambakkam. The of BNS
arrests followed a complaint P.S.: N-2
by the district child Kasimedu
Place of
protection officer, who
Incident:
reported that the newborn
Erode, Tamil
14
was sold through an illegal Nadu
adoption arrangement.
[No Nursing Home/ART
Center/Hospital involved as
per the information
furnished till date]
h. 15.02.2 In Ludhiana, Punjab, police Punjab Date of
026 arrested five to eight Incident:
persons, including the 15.02.2026
infant’s mother and a BAMS FIR No.
doctor, Dr. Manmeet Kaur, 32/2026;
for allegedly selling a registered on
two-day-old baby for Rs. 15.02.2026
2.10 lakh to a woman from under
Moga. Reportedly, on Sections
13.02.2026, a girl was born 143(4) and
to a woman from Sherpur 61(2) of BNS
Kalan in Ludhiana at Arora 2. P.S.: Division 3,
Nursing Home near Baba Than Ludhiana
Singh Chowk. The woman Commissionerate,
already had four children Punjab
Place of
(all daughters), and the
Incident:
birth of a fifth daughter
Near Chhevin
had left the family unhappy.
Patshahi
The deal was reportedly
Gurudwara,
fixed at Rs 2.10 lakh, of
Neela Jhanda
which Rs 1.5 lakh was to go
Road Park,
to the mother, and Rs 60,000
Ludhiana
was to be distributed as
commission[No Nursing Home/Hospital
involved, but medical
professional involved as per
the information furnished
till date]
i. 18.02.2 Dehra, Shimla Police Himachal Date of
026 uncovered an interstate Pradesh Incident:
infant trafficking network. 15.02.2026
Six more accused were FIR No.
arrested, adding to earlier 13/2026;
arrests in the case. The registered on
network operated across 17.02.2026
state borders, selling under
newborns through Sections
intermediaries. Last week, 143(4) and
Dehra police busted the 318(4) of BNS
interstate infant and 80,81 of
trafficking racket by JJ Act
P.S.:
15
arresting three accused. One Sansarpur
additional woman apprehended Terrace
in the case was released Place of
after being served a notice. Incident:
The network was run from Near Chhevin
Punjab under the guise of Patshahi
facilitating adoption of Gurudwara,
newborns. So far, one infant Neela Jhanda
has been safely rescued. Road Park,
Investigation revealed that Ludhiana
approximately Rs 4.85 lakh
was transacted illegally in
connection with the baby’s
sale. The case came to light
on 17.02.2026 when Rohit
Rana, a local resident,
filed a complaint at the
Sansarpur Terrace police
station regarding fraud of
Rs 23,500 on the pretext of
arranging child adoption.
[No Nursing Home/ART
Center/Hospital involved as
per the information
furnished till date]
j. 20.02.2 Seven people were arrested Maharashtra Date of
026 in Thane, Maharashtra for Incident:
attempting to sell a 23.12.2025
7-day-old infant for Rs. 6 FIR No.
lakhs. The accused included 409/2025;
intermediaries who tried to registered on
broker the sale, exposing a 24.12.2025
child trafficking network Sections 143, (all
targeting vulnerable 143 (3) (4), broke
families. Anti-Human 3(5) of the antec
Trafficking Cell had BNS 2023,
received inputs, and the read with
city police laid a trap near Sections 81
a hotel in the Badlapur West and 87 of the
area on Wednesday night to JJ Act 2015,
nab the group. A decoy was and Section
set up by the police. The 66 (D) of the
gang was paid Rs 20,000 via I.T. Act 2000
UPI as token money, with the 3. P.S.: Badlapur
remaining balance of Rs 5.8 (West), Thane
4. Place of Incident:
lakh to be paid in cash.
In front of Hotel
Shabari Family
[No Nursing Home/ART
Restaurant and Bar,
Center/Hospital involved as
Bharat College
per the information
Road, Badlapur
16
furnished till date] West, Dist. Thane
k. 22.02.2 In Thane, Maharashtra, Maharashtra Date of
026 police dismantled an Incident:
and organized egg-donation 23.12.2025
24.02.2 racket. At least 40 poor FIR No. (arre
026 women were targeted and 68/2026;
induced to undergo repeated registered on
medical procedures for 20.02.2026
extraction of their eggs. Sections 125,
The victims were offered Rs 143(2),
25,000 to Rs 30,000 per 143(3), 271,
cycle and repeatedly used as 272, 318(4),
egg donors, resulting in 335, 336(3), (Docu
physical exploitation. Three 337, 339, recor
women were arrested. The 340(2), 61(2) seize
operation violated of the BNS Cente
provisions of the Assisted 2023, read
Reproductive Technology with Sections
(ART) Act and exposed 28, 29, 33 of
exploitation of economically ART Act, 2021
vulnerable women. Ulhasnagar and Sections
Deputy. 18(c), 27
One of the accused allegedly B(ii) of
assisted in illegal Drugs &
sonographies and stored Cosmetics
ovulation-stimulating Act, 1940
equipment in her house P.S.:
without possessing any Badlapur
medical degree. Illegal (East), Thane
Place of
injections worth Rs 9.50
Incident:
lakh to Rs 10 lakh seized
Room No. 903,
from three locations. The
Nano City
racket came to light after a
Society,
woman complained that she
Joveligav,
had not been paid for an egg
Badlapur East
donation. This led to a raid
on the residence of the
alleged kingpin, Sulakshana
Gadekar, where hormonal
injections were recovered.
The women were transported
to Bengaluru, Telangana,
Nagpur, Pune, and Nashik for
17
extraction after receiving
hormonal injections.
[ART Center/Hospital
involved as per the
information furnished till
date]
14. The first and the foremost directions we propose to issue
today is that all Home Secretaries of the State Governments who
have failed to file their compliance reports shall appear before
this Court online on the next date of hearing. All those State
Governments, who have filed their compliance reports are directed
to file further reports keeping in mind the chart enumerated above,
i.e., reporting of compliance of specific directions with respect
to the bird recommendations.
15. We are of the firm view that each of the State Governments
should constitute a review committee and the review committee
should be entrusted with the task of periodical review of the
vulnerable areas, more particularly, those areas which are prone to
child trafficking.
16. We order accordingly.
17. These review committees shall be constituted within a period
of four weeks from today. Next time, when the matter comes up
before us, the State Governments should report in their fresh
compliance reports about the constitution of the review committees
and its functioning.
18. The learned Amicus, thereafter, talked about the provisions of
the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulations Act), 2021, (for
short, “the ART”), more particularly, Section 33 of the Act, 2021,
which provides for offences and penalties.
19. This is something which the Union of India should pay
attention and on the next date of hearing, file a exhaustive report
about what steps are being taken to give meaningful effect to the
provisions of the Act, 2021, i.e. the ART Act.
20. We would also like to know that in last five years, how many
cases have been registered under the Act, 2021.
18
21. We would also like to know from the learned ASG what steps
have been taken so far to prevent commercialization of ART Act. We
would also like to know whether there is any standard operating
procedure for the purpose of inter-state coordination with respect
to missing and trafficked children or not.
22. We had also directed the High Courts across the country to
call for the necessary instructions as regards the pending trials
relating to child trafficking.
23. Learned Amicus has furnished a chart reporting compliance of
the status of the trials. All the High Courts except the High Court
of Patna have furnished the details. The details are as under:-
Whether Status of Trials Whether
the No. of No. of trials disposed as the High
relevant trials per the Hon’ble Supreme Court has
data has pending Court’s directions issued a
been circular
collected to all
w.r.t. trial
status of courts to
pending complete
trials trials
relating within a
S.
High to child period of
No
Courts trafficki 6 months
.
ng? from the
date of
the
circular
and if
need be,
by
conducting
the trials
on day-to-
day basis?
4. Andhra Partly As on No details of day to day Circular
Pradesh furnished 31.08.2025, trials and/or disposal dated
High . 14 trials within 6 months furnished 18.08.2025
Court are pending issued
5. Calcutta Partly As on No details of day to day Circular
High funished 15.06.2025, trials and/or disposal dated
Court 1,317 within 6 months furnished 30.06.2025
[For West pending issued
Bengal trials As on 30.08.2025, 227
and pending trials
Andaman
Nicobar
Islands]
6. Delhi Partly 269 cases No details of day to day Letter
High furnished pending as trials and/or disposal dated
19
Court on within 6 months furnished 21.06.2025
30.09.2025 issued
14 cases disposed between
21.06.2025 and 30.09.2025
7. Guwahati Partly As on No details of day to day Circular
High furnished 31.05.2025, trials and/or disposal dated
Court no. of within 6 months furnished 20.06.2025
[For cases issued
Assam, pending:
Nagaland, 15. Assam
Mizoram, : 191
Arunachal 16. Aruna
Pradesh] chal
Pradesh:
9
17. Nagal
and: Nil
18. Mizor
am: Nil
8. Governmen Partly Nil cases N/A No
t of Goa furnished pending
9. Gujarat Partly 62 cases No details of day to day Circular
High furnished pending as trials and/or disposal dated
Court on within 6 months furnished 25.09.2025
23.09.2025. issued
10. Himachal Partly One case As per e-mail dated Circular
Pradesh furnished pending as 21.01.2026 sent to the dated
High on Supreme Court, it appears 20.08.2025
Court 26.07.2025 that day to day trial is issued
not happening. The sole
case was last listed on
30.12.2025 and
12.11.2025.
11. Kerala Partly 118 cases No details of day to day Official
High furnished pending trials and/or disposal Memorandum
Court within 6 months furnished dated
24.09.2025
issued
12. Madras Partly As on No details of day to day Circular
High furnished 31.05.2025, trials and/or disposal dated
Court 748 pending within 6 months furnished 30.06.2025
[For cases in issued
Tamil Tamil Nadu As on 30.09.2025, 232
Nadu and and Nil in cases pending in Tamil
Puducherr Puducherry Nadu and Nil in
y] Puducherry
13. Meghalaya Yes 15 cases Detailed report given for Admin.
High pending as each case in September Order
Court on 2025 which gives the dated
02.06.2025 duration of pendency of 06.06.2025
each case, reasons for issued
non-disposal and whether
case is being conducted
on day-to-day basis
14. Orissa Yes 73 cases No details of day to day Letter
High pending trials and/or disposal dated
Court within 6 months furnished 20.06.2025
20
issued
Individual reports
received from each Judge
in September 2025
regarding status of cases
and justifications for
delay in disposal
15. Punjab & Yes 19. 11 No details of day to day Letter
Haryana trials trials and/or disposal dated
High pending within 6 months furnished 27.08.2025
Court in issued
Punjab
as on
Septembe
r 2025
20. 11
Trials
pending
in
Haryana
as on
Septembe
r 2025
21. 3
cases
disposed
in
August
2025 in
Punjab
16. Rajasthan Partly 256 trials No details of day to day Circular
High furnished pending as trials and/or disposal dated
Court on within 6 months furnished 19.08.2025
31.07.2025 issued
17. Sikkim Partly No cases N/A Not issued
High furnished pending as deemed
Court inessentia
l
18. Uttarakha Partly Out of 13 No details of day to day Circular
nd High furnished districts, trials and/or disposal dated
Court in three within 6 months furnished 23.07.2025
districts issued
30 cases 56 cases pending as on
are pending 22.09.2025 in five
as on districts
31.05.2025
19. Tripura Partly 3 cases No details of day to day Notificati
High furnished pending as trials and/or disposal on dated
Court on within 6 months furnished 23.09.2025
14.08.2025 issued
20. Allahabad Yes 102 trials No details of day to day Circular
High pending as trials and/or disposal dated
Court on within 6 months furnished 12.05.2025
20.04.2025 issued
22. 109 trials pending
as on 13.10.2025.
Increase from 102 is
21
attributable to
registration of 20 new
cases between
21.04.2025 and
13.10.2025
23. 13 cases disposed
between 21.04.2025 and
13.10.2025
Additional Affidavit 24. 112 pending trials
dated 01.12.2025 as on 31.10.2025 with
filed. the oldest dating back
to 2013
25. Stage-wise breakup
of pending trials:
Appearance of 2 accused 0 Framing of charge 1 0 PE 6 2 DE 5 Final arguments 1 3 26. 16 cases disposed between 21.04.2025 and 31.10.2025 22. Karnataka Yes 27. 64 No details of day to day Circular High cases trials and/or disposal dated Court pending within 6 months furnished 24.06.2025 as on issued 01.04.20 28. 9 cases 25 disposed between April to October 2025 29. 66 cases pending as on 15.10.2025 30. 53 cases pending for more than 6 months as on 15.10.2025 alongwith reasons for delay in disposal of each case Compliance report o. 67 pending trials filed on 11.01.2026 for the period 15.04.2025 to 15.12.2025 p. Details of day to day trials and reasons for not conducting day to day trials furnished for each case 22 24. Manipur Yes 3 trials 31. 2 trials disposed Circular High pending as in compliance of dated Court on June Supreme Court judgment 10.07.2025 2025 32. 1 trial being issued conducted on day-to- day basis 25. Jammu & Partly 4 cases No details of day to day Circular Kashmir furnished pending as trials and/or disposal dated and per within 6 months furnished 29.11.2025 Ladakh information issued High furnished Court by the District Courts pursuant to letter dated 25.09.2025 26. Madhya Partly 49 trials No details of day to day Circular Pradesh furnished pending as trials and/or disposal dated High on within 6 months furnished 07.07.2025 Court 30.05.2025. issued 27. Bombay Partly 111 No details of day to day Circular High furnished cases trials and/or disposal dated Court pending within 6 months furnished 06.06.2025 as on issued 15.04.20 25 13 cases disposed from April to November 2025 107 cases pending as on 30.11.20 25 28. Jharkhand Submitted 382 39 trials completed and Circular High pursuant trials disposed on day to day dated Court to pending basis pursuant to 26.06.2025 direction as on Circular dated 26.06.2025 issued s passed 15.04.20 issued on 25 02.12.202 393 5 trials pending as on 26.06.20 25 386 trials pending as on 23 17.12.20 25 29. Chhattisg Partly 54 cases No details of day to day Circular arh High furnished pending trials and/or disposal dated Court as on within 6 months furnished 08.10.2025 08.10.20 issued 25 30. Telangana Partly 26 cases No details of day to day Circular High furnished pending trials and/or disposal dated Court within 6 months furnished 09.09.2025 issued 31. Patna NO DATA FURNISHED Circular High dated Court 04.08.2025 issued
24. By the next date of hearing, the High Court of Patna should
also furnish the necessary information in this regard.
25. Post this matter for further hearing on 08.04.2026 on top of
the board.
(VISHAL ANAND) (POOJA SHARMA)
ASTT. REGISTRAR-cum-PS COURT MASTER (NSH)