Accused in the Supreme Court of turning a blind eye to “human trafficking” through unauthorised orphanages and childcare centres, the Kerala government has countered that it does not carry the stain of child abuse and exploitation.
Kerala came under a cloud of suspicion before the Supreme Court, which learned of a recent incident about illegal transportation of around 600 children from Bihar and Jharkhand to some orphanages in the State.
Police and district officials had rescued the children. The matter came to the court’s attention on an application filed by advocate Aparna Bhat in August 2014.
Ms. Bhat is the court’s amicus curiae in a pending case on exploitation of children in orphanages in Tamil Nadu.
On her application, Kerala was made a party in the litigation and the court had issued notice to the State.
The amicus had described the Palakkad incident as part of a larger problem of mushrooming unauthorised orphanages and child care centres in the State.
The case is scheduled to come up before a bench led by Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu on Monday.
In its affidavit, the State government said the rescue operation in Palakkad was its own initiative. The children were provided care and protection by the State.
It said social instruments like Kudumbasree, Childline, etc., work with the authorities to prevent child exploitation and abuse in the State.
