Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has expressed concern over the monitoring and rehabilitation of children rescued from begging in Goa and later repatriated to Maharashtra.
The concern arose during proceedings on a Public Interest Litigation concerning child begging. The petition was filed by Advocate Moses Pinto, who has raised issues relating to children found begging at various locations across Goa.
The division bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar took note of repeated cases involving children from Dharashiv district, formerly known as Osmanabad, who had reportedly been brought to Goa for begging.
The bench directed the Maharashtra Department of Women and Child Development to join the proceedings and sought information from the Dharashiv Collector, Superintendent of Police and Child Welfare Committee regarding children travelling from the district to Goa.
The court has asked for records covering the last two years and directed that sensitive information, including the identities of children, be submitted separately in sealed cover.
The bench said the issue could not be viewed as a Goa-only matter as it involved movement of children across State borders. It stressed the importance of cooperation between authorities in Goa and Maharashtra rather than creating jurisdictional complications.
The court also permitted officials from Maharashtra to participate through video conferencing and requested the Advocate General of Maharashtra to attend the next hearing online. The matter has been posted for September 1.
The bench noted that incidents of child begging appeared to rise during Goa’s peak tourist period, particularly from November to April.
It also referred to previous orders passed in June, under which children rescued from begging were placed in child-care institutions in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act before being sent back to Dharashiv.
The High Court had earlier sought reports from the Dharashiv Child Welfare Committee regarding the children after their return. However, the material placed before the bench prompted questions about whether the required monitoring and follow-up were actually being carried out by the district authorities.
The court stressed that rescuing and repatriating a child cannot be the end of the process and that effective mechanisms are required to ensure the child’s safety and rehabilitation after returning home.
The bench further questioned whether sufficient attention and resources were being devoted to tackling the issue, particularly when substantial funds are allocated for various government schemes.
Considering the involvement of multiple departments and two State governments, the High Court appointed an amicus curiae to assist it in examining the matter. The bench said the responsibilities of the different agencies need to be clearly defined and the existing system reviewed.
The court also widened its concern to reports indicating the presence of a large number of suspected paedophiles in Goa’s beach areas. The bench said information emerging from research was disturbing and directed the authorities to examine the matter and submit their findings.
The proceedings will now focus on strengthening the system of rescue, rehabilitation, repatriation and post-return monitoring of vulnerable children, while also examining wider child-safety concerns in Goa.
