Hyderabad High Court seeks states’ reply on anti-trafficking PIL
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has directed the AP and TS governments to spell out their stand on a PIL seeking directions to all the “anti-human trafficking units” located in both the states be made functional and to ensure that the rights of the victims of trafficking are protected.
Prajwala, an anti-trafficking organisation of the city moved the PIL urging the court to direct both the governments’ for effective implementation of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956.
The petitioner contended that Section 18 of the Act mandates the law enforcement agencies of both the states to seal the premises of those suspected to be involved in sex trafficking during the raids.
It was urged that relevant provisions of the IPC, 1860, POCSO Act, 2012, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, be taken into consideration for passing necessary guidelines to check trafficking by the governments. The HC directed both the states to spell out their stand through counter-affidavits by April 27.
HC summons principal secretaries
Expressing displeasure at the apathy of the authorities in implementing the court orders, a division bench comprising Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice M. Satyanarayana Murthy of the Hyderabad HC has summoned principal secretaries of medical and health departments of both AP and TS to be present in the court on April 8.
The bench was dealing with a batch of petitions by Kolla Malleeswari and others challenging the method adopted by the authorities in the recruitment of 160 assistant motor vehicle inspectors in both states.
According to the petitioners the recruitment process began with a notification issued on May 31, 2008, and the AP Public Service Commission had completed the selection process in 2010. After the preliminary selections a team of doctors from Osmania and Gandhi hospitals conducted a medical examination to test the physical fitness of the candidates. After the medical test, the authorities issued appointment orders to successful candidates in 2012.
However, after complaints by some candidates, the erstwhile AP government has constituted a medical board with three doctors from MGM Hospital, Warangal, to verify the fitness certificates issued by the first medical board.
The court had earlier directed the principal secretaries of both the states to constitute a third medical board to examine the issue.
