D.R. Azad, J. - (1.) 1.We have heard Ms Usha Kiran, learned Additional Government Advocate, Shri Sukhudu Pal Singh, learned counsel for the petitioner, Shri K.K. Roy, Shri Sudeep Kumar Singh and Shri Jagriti Singh, intervenors and Shri K.C. Sinha, learned Assistant Solicitor General for Union of India and have perused the affidavits filed on behalf of the DG.P.,U.P., D.I.G Varanasi, District Magistrate, Allahabad, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) officer, Allahabad, Principal Secretaries, Labour, Primary Education, Women and Child Development, UP, Director Handicapped Welfare U.P., Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India and also the affidavits and application filed by the intervenors and have also perused the reports submitted by the registry and the compliance report and other documents submitted by the Member Secretary, UP Legal Services Authority. LATEST STATUS OF MISSING CHILDREN - DIRECTIONS
(2.) IN an affidavit dated 19.3.2009 filed on behalf of the DGP, U.P. Lucknow, it is mentioned that as on 28.2.2009, since 2002, 10365 children have been reported missing. IN the said period 8615 children have been recovered. However, 1750 children are still required to be traced out, this includes 1293 males and 457 females children. In the year 2008, 843 children were reported missing, out of whom only 158 children were recovered or returned, and thus 685 remained missing. Even in the last period between 1.1.2009 and 28.2.2009 as many as 562 children are reported to have gone missing out of whom 224 children were recovered/ returned in the same period, i.e. there has been an increment of 338 children relating to that period who are still to be recovered. From the perusal of this data, we find that although a large number of children have been recovered or have returned on their own, but a substantial number of children, i.e. 1750 are still required to be traced out. A closer analysis shows that whereas our previous order dated 30.1.2009, notes 1578 missing children on 1.1.2009 as per the DGP's previous recent affidavit, this figure has now swollen to 1750.
(3.) WE again have to reiterate what we have stated in the last order that in spite of the commitment of the police to trace out the missing children a larger number of children are going missing than are being traced out relating to the same period, resulting in an increment in the number of missing children. It is for this reason that we have been emphasising identifying the root causes of this phenomena as to why this child goes missing and the need to put some effective mechanism into place from preventing the vulnerable child from going away voluntarily or falling in the hands of traffickers or being abducted. To arrive at the root causes, we had directed the police authorities to examine some of the returned/recovered children by the order dated 7.11.2008. In pursuance of that order families of 401 returned children were interviewed in the police zones as mentioned in our order dated 30.1.2009. The main causes mentioned in the previous affidavit were scoldings by parents (115), harsh treatment by teachers in studies (9), disinterest in studies (61), a small proportion had gone away because of love affairs (19). 30 children had been lured away by child traffickers and only 2 children were forcibly abducted, 101 had gone missing for unspecified reasons.;