Frame rules to curb child begging: Madras HC to TN govt

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has advised the Tamil Nadu government to formulate proper procedures to prevent the use of children for begging on the streets.

The advice came after a petitioner, RS Tamilvendan, a Chennai-based advocate, filed a public interest litigation in the High Court seeking a direction to the authorities to conduct an inquiry to verify whether the women found begging with children on the streets of Chennai are indeed the mothers of those children.

In his petition, the petitioner said the women begging with children at traffic signals show no physical resemblance to the children. It also noted that the children used for begging appear to be sleeping all the time, raising suspicion about their well-being. Despite the heat and the loud noise from passing vehicles, these children do not even blink. Therefore, it must be investigated whether the children are being given sleeping pills, alcohol, or some other drugs, he said.

Pointing out that most of the women do not speak Tamil, the petition raised the doubt whether the children are being kidnapped from other states and brought here to be pushed to begging. It needs to be found out who is operating behind the scenes, he said, and urged the court to order an investigation into the racket and issue directions to rescue the children.

When the case came up for hearing, Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan advised the Tamil Nadu government to devise appropriate measures to prevent such activities.

The judges also directed the government to file a counter affidavit to the petition and adjourned the hearing to December 11.