The Hindu : New Delhi News : High Court directive in alleged sex abuse case

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Sunday, Sep 30, 2007
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New Delhi

High Court directive in alleged sex abuse case

Staff Reporter

Police asked to record children’s statements again

‘Certain placement agencies were forcing domestic helps into sex racket’
Statements of 43 minor domestic helps recorded by Delhi police rejected

NEW DELHI: Rejecting the statements of 43 minor domestic helps recorded by the Delhi police following an allegation of their sexual abuse, the Delhi High Court has directed the investigating agency to record their statements all over again and away from their work places.

Employment

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice R.S. Sodhi and Justice B.N. Chaturvedi passed the direction on a petition by a non-government organisation, Shramajivi Mahila Sansthan, alleging that certain placement agencies in the Capital were trafficking girls and boys from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and forcing them into the sex racket in the name of employment as domestic helps.

The petitioner alleged that a few placement agencies this year had trafficked more than 100 girls from West Bengal and forced them into the sex racket under the garb of employment as domestic helps.

The organisation filed the petition when it met a domestic help who narrated her woes to it.

Following a direction by the High Court on the petition, the police conducted a survey of such children in the Capital and then informed the Court that they had found 43 minors who were employed in different houses and who told them that they were happy with their employers.

The petitioner rebutted the police claims, submitting that the statements were not reliable as they were recorded before their employers.

Children

The Court accepted the submission and directed the police to take the children to Nirmal Chhaya and record their statements there afresh in the presence of the Joint Labour Commissioner.

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