New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court has asked the government to give special powers to CBI to deal with the problem of minor girls being forced into prostitution by organised inter-state gangs of kidnappers.

The direction from the High Court came amid increasing number of cases of kidnapping of minor girls who were compelled into prostitution, even as a 2006 CBI report said there were around 80 gangs operating in North India which were involved in such activities.

"What would be the problem if the CBI is given teeth to deal with the problem," a bench headed by Justice Vikramjeet Sen observed.

"We have seen that many inter-state gangs are operating in the field. This is the worst kind of situation prevailing in the country and this is something the government must look into," the bench said.

The Court directed the Home Ministry to constitute a committee comprising people from academic and criminology fields which would contemplate and formulate policy to tackle the menace.