The court also issued a stern reminder to the authorities about the urgency of tracing the missing children and arresting those behind the racket. “You have to find these missing children at any cost and arrest the kingpin,” the bench said during the hearing.On April 15, the apex court had dealt with a similar case involving inter-state child trafficking. In that matter, it had cancelled the bail of 13 accused, emphasising that the “cry of the collective for justice, its desire for peace and harmony” could not be trivialised. In the present case, the court reiterated its commitment to ensuring the protection and welfare of trafficked children. It directed the government to admit all rescued children into schools under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and ensure continued support for their education. The court also reflected on the broader patterns of child trafficking across India, noting that the problem is not only widespread but evolving. “An overall analysis of trafficking patterns across states reiterates the prevalence of trafficking in large numbers, with the number of cases sharply rising with time,” the bench observed. Of particular concern, it said, was the emergence of previously unknown trafficking factors. “Changing trafficking patterns have brought changes in traffickers, their modus operandi, their manipulation of the victims and their understanding of time limitations in the criminal justice system,” the top court added.
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