PANAJI
Despite being specifically directed to appear before the High Court of Bombay at Goa through video conferencing, Maharashtra’s child welfare officials stayed away from Tuesday’s proceedings in a PIL probing the alleged trafficking of children into Goa for begging.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Osmanabad and the Secretary of Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Department failed to appear despite email notices being served on them. The Court had at the previous hearing directed them to join the proceedings online.
The Court has now sought assistance of Maharashtra Advocate General on specific inter-State coordination, follow-up and rehabilitation of children repatriated to Maharashtra, and fresh notice.
The matter has now been adjourned to September 23.
During the last hearing, the Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar had expressed concern over lack of follow-up by Maharashtra authorities after children rescued from begging in Goa were repatriated to Osmanabad.
The Court also sought reports from its Collector and Superintendent of Police on children brought to Goa for begging, as well as those repatriated by the Goa CWC and government authorities.
