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A city court on Thursday directed the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) to make extra efforts in curbing crimes against children and women, beyond what is being done by the police and law enforcing agencies.
Additional Sessions Judge Santosh Snehi Mann asked the two statutory bodies to assess ground realities of the criminal justice system and find flaws that lets perpetrators of crimes against these two sections get away.
Her observations came in a case where an alleged pimp was acquitted of forcing a minor girl into flesh trade due to lack of evidence. Khanpur resident Irfan, accused of selling a minor girl for the purpose of prostitution was let-off after the prosecution failed to produce the victim and her husband before the court.
“It is high time that the various statutory authorities constituted to protect the rights of minor girls and children against sexual exploitation do a reality check about the success rate of criminal prosecutions for sexual abuse and exploitation of minor girls, identify cause for failure of prosecution and take effective steps within their jurisdiction,” said ASJ Mann. She also directed that her court orders be sent to DCW and DCPCR for follow-up actions.
“It is directed that a copy of this judgment be sent to the chairpersons of Delhi Commission for Women and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights for information and indulgence,” she said.
The judge also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to take necessary actions on lapses in the investigation by the police and its failure in producing the victim, a child witness, before the court during the trial. The court said Kamla Market police station in-charge inspector Bala Sharma, who also probed the case, conceded in the open court that she did not have any inkling on the whereabouts of the victim and her husband.
According to the prosecution, Irfan had lured the minor victim and her husband from Bihar to Delhi on the pretext of getting them lucrative jobs. The police said Irfan brought the couple to Ajmeri Chowk near the city’s red light area in GB road on August 18, 2009 and introduced the girl to a man for selling her for prostitution. The victim, however, got apprehensive and escaped from Irfan’s clutches and informed a policeman about it.
The judge said it has generally been observed that in cases involving sexual abuse and exploitation of minor girls, the trial ends in acquittal as prosecution fails to produce its main witnesses -- the victims of the offence. She said while sexual abuse and exploitation of minor girls was alarmingly high, perpetrators of the crime find ways to wriggle out of the criminal justice system.
Additional Sessions Judge Santosh Snehi Mann asked the two statutory bodies to assess ground realities of the criminal justice system and find flaws that lets perpetrators of crimes against these two sections get away.
Her observations came in a case where an alleged pimp was acquitted of forcing a minor girl into flesh trade due to lack of evidence. Khanpur resident Irfan, accused of selling a minor girl for the purpose of prostitution was let-off after the prosecution failed to produce the victim and her husband before the court.
“It is high time that the various statutory authorities constituted to protect the rights of minor girls and children against sexual exploitation do a reality check about the success rate of criminal prosecutions for sexual abuse and exploitation of minor girls, identify cause for failure of prosecution and take effective steps within their jurisdiction,” said ASJ Mann. She also directed that her court orders be sent to DCW and DCPCR for follow-up actions.
“It is directed that a copy of this judgment be sent to the chairpersons of Delhi Commission for Women and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights for information and indulgence,” she said.
The judge also directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to take necessary actions on lapses in the investigation by the police and its failure in producing the victim, a child witness, before the court during the trial. The court said Kamla Market police station in-charge inspector Bala Sharma, who also probed the case, conceded in the open court that she did not have any inkling on the whereabouts of the victim and her husband.
According to the prosecution, Irfan had lured the minor victim and her husband from Bihar to Delhi on the pretext of getting them lucrative jobs. The police said Irfan brought the couple to Ajmeri Chowk near the city’s red light area in GB road on August 18, 2009 and introduced the girl to a man for selling her for prostitution. The victim, however, got apprehensive and escaped from Irfan’s clutches and informed a policeman about it.
The judge said it has generally been observed that in cases involving sexual abuse and exploitation of minor girls, the trial ends in acquittal as prosecution fails to produce its main witnesses -- the victims of the offence. She said while sexual abuse and exploitation of minor girls was alarmingly high, perpetrators of the crime find ways to wriggle out of the criminal justice system.
