City, rural police get ready to fight child trafficking

Date: September 23, 2017

Location: Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government has formed anti-child trafficking unit (ACTU) across the state to investigate child missing/lifting cases exclusively.

The move comes months after the Madras High Court ordered the state government to constitute anti-child trafficking unit, a sub-unit within the existing anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) in each city, district and railways to investigate cases related to child missing/lifting.

Following the court order, the state government had issued an order (GO/ms-169) stating that each anti-child trafficking unit should comprise inspectors of police, one sub-inspector, one head constable and two grade-I police constables.

Coimbatore city police have appointed inspector R Geetha to its anti-child trafficking unit, while the rural police have formed a separate unit along with Thudiyalur all-woman police and inducted inspector Anandanayagi into it.

In districts, additional superintendent of police (ADSP -headquarters) will supervise the anti-child trafficking unit and in cities the task is entrusted to deputy commissioners of police (headquarters). The director general of police (DGP) has requested the government to sanction 43 new posts of inspector of police to head as many anti-child trafficking units across the state, besides a financial aid of Rs 7.03 crore.

The state government had a few years ago formed anti-human trafficking units across the state to prevent human trafficking. The unit functions under a woman sub-inspector of police in Coimbatore city. The anti-human trafficking team, along with the officials of labour department, often conduct raids in bakeries, tea shops and textile shops and rescues minor boys.

Child missing cases have increased across the state and many minor children from other states are being brought to the state for various jobs. The anti-child trafficking unit will work to find out the children and rescue them, in addition to preventing child trafficking.

Read the Times of India (Source) article here.