On Monday, the Allahabad High Court asked the UP government’s stand on a plea seeking the establishment of special courts in every district to try cases related to human trafficking allegedly on the rise in the state.
A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Piyush Agarwal issued a notice on a PIL filed by Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, an NGO working among the victims of human trafficking and prostitution. The plea submits that human trafficking in the State of Uttar Pradesh is on rise but due to lack of courts under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956, no adequate steps have been taken to combat such trafficking. It submitted that even during the period of Covid-19 restrictions, such trafficking is rampant.
In support of the same, the NGO had also produced before the court, several official documents, including a study made by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, as well as the studies made by different non-governmental organizations.
Therefore, the petition urged the court to issue directions for the establishment of more special courts in each and every district of the State of Uttar Pradesh to adjudicate trials under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
Subsequently, the court while seeking the government’s response on the plea, slated January 18 for the next hearing of the matter.
“Let this petition for writ be listed on 18th January 2021. The respondent-State in the meanwhile may file a counter affidavit to the petition for the writ,” ordered the court.
