Nagpur: A quiet revolution is unfolding in the heart of Maharashtra, where justice is no longer blind, and the fight against child trafficking is both fierce and compassionate.
In a landmark hearing, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court denied bail to a history sheeter facing trial in achild trafficking case. Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke, while rejecting the plea, stated unequivocally, “When deciding on bail, the court must prioritise the victim’s right to be free from trafficking.”
The bail petitioner had abducted an eight-month-old child and sold the baby with the help of five accomplices, four of whom were women. The gravity of the case can be sensed from the fact that a co-accused has been facing Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) charges in a different case. The petitioner cited the delay in hearings and made an unsuccessful attempt to exploit that as a ground forbail.
This ruling isn’t just about one case. It points towards a new judicial ethos—one that puts survivors first and takes a firm stand against the loopholes in the system that habitual offenders often exploit. By setting a precedent for the lower courts to expedite the trials of trafficking cases and avoid bail, the judiciary is sending a silent but powerful warning : child traffickers will not find refuge in legal grey zones anymore.
This paradigm shift in courtrooms is mirrored by a transformation on the streets, led by Nagpur City Police. In aninspiring instance, officers rescued a minor girl lured into the flesh trade after fleeing home over a social media-induced love affair. What followed wasn’t a standard police case file. It was a journey of healing. The police provided trauma-informed care, paired her with expert counsellors, and motivated her to resume her education. In just weeks, she cleared her Class 12 exams.
Currently, the girl is pursuing her BA and aspires to become a social worker. Her courage has been underpinned by the compassion of the female police officers who have been beside her, even escorted her to exam centres, like protective parents.
Thousands of children are trafficked every year in India for purposes ranging from the sex trade to forced labour. A number of cases go unreported ; even among the reported, only a few reaches conviction. The conviction rate in human trafficking in Maharashtra was 15.22% in 2022, whereas the conviction rate in other IPC crimes stood at 57.43% that year.
However, Nagpur is slowly rewriting that story. Under the leadership of Dr. Ravindra Singhal, Commissioner of Police, Nagpur city, the police force has been undergoing trainings on ‘trauma-informed care’. Community policing initiatives like the “Police Didi” programs in schools, colleges are improving awareness. More noteworthily, city police are prioritizing on rapid filing of charge sheets.
This synergy between the courts and police does not just enforce laws—it transforms lives. It builds risk perception among would-be traffickers, demonstrates judicial proactiveness, and showcases the human side of law enforcement. As India continues its fight against the shadows of child trafficking, Nagpur is lighting the way. In its courts and its police vans, justice walks—not blindfolded, but with open eyes and an open heart.
