CHENNAI: The One-Stop Crisis Team (OSCT) established by the Tamil Nadu State Legal Service Authority (TNSLSA) to combat sex, organ and labour trafficking across the State in an efficient manner has taken good shape in multiple districts by achieving great success in rescuing and providing legal aid to survivors across the State.
To ensure better implementation of the OSCT, TNSLSA has also issued a set of guidelines for survivors of human trafficking.
Speaking to DT Next, stakeholders, from advocates to members of TNSLSA, said that with OSCT's help, seeking legal assistance and resolution from the court has become easy for the survivors.
Developed in collaboration with the International Justice Mission (IJM) in 2019, representatives from various departments set up District Legal Service Authorities (DLSAs) in TN for the best implementation of the NALSA (victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation) scheme.
However, with several cases pending before the court in the respective districts, the DLSA called to nominate panel lawyers to assist the public prosecutors/special public prosecutors/assistant public prosecutors in conducting these cases and expediting the process.
Subsequently, as per the notification from the member secretary of TNSLSA, DLSAs were asked to nominate panel lawyers to assist prosecutors as and when the survivor approaches for legal assistance and wherever required for conducting the pending bonded labour cases.
And, as per sources, the panel lawyers have been appointed in Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Theni and Sivagangai.
In one such case of appointment of a panel lawyer in Theni, an easy legal procedure with the help of officials and public prosecutor (PP) was facilitated for a teenage boy who was successfully rescued from bonded labour.
Kabilan (12) was trafficked in 2017 in Theni district while on his way to school. His parents searched for three days before filing a missing person complaint at the Theni police station. Following an unsuccessful search, the parents filed a Habeas Corpus Petition (HCP) in the High Court, Madurai Bench, with the support of a trust and local counsel.
Subsequently, the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) police and a separate FIR was registered under various sections – Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, trafficking sections, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Explaining the case, Roseann Rajan, advocate of Madras High Court, said, "The accused Murugan had trafficked and sold the boy to another agent who then forcefully engaged him in pickpocketing. Later, he was sent to work at a confectionery unit in Bengaluru to work as a child bonded labourer."
After almost a year, Kabilan was identified and rescued, and a Release Certificate was provided. A charge sheet was filed in 2019 against the accused Murugan and Pandi.
Speaking on the significance of the case, Roseann noted, "Proactive DLSA secretaries, PP, OSCT's persistent follow-ups, panel advocated specifically for the case, and a plea for speedy trial and victim rehabilitation by Released Bonded Labourers' Association (RBLA) leader Muthukarupan led to this landmark conviction."
Thus, guidelines must be strictly adhered to, and panel lawyers should be appointed in the remaining DLSAs in the State to ensure efficiency in anti- trafficking efforts.