The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in a suo motu case initiated by it in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus to Child Care Institutions (CCIs) including children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law in observation homes and children in foster and kinship care.
The matter was listed for hearing after 4 weeks by the bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao, S. Abdul Nazeer and Hemant Gupta which has adjourned it.
Time to time the court had issued directions in this matter. Previously, on 09.10.2020, the Court took note of the letter issued by the Senior Consultant, Legal Division, National Commission for Protection for Children Rights (NCPCR) to all District Magistrates/Collectors of the State of Karnataka directing repatriation and restoration of the Children placed in the children protection homes.
In another connected writ petition the Court had asked all State governments to provide information related to the number of child victims/witnesses of human trafficking who are required to depose in courts at places other than those residing outside the States. “One district may be identified by each State Government/ Union Territory for establishing Video Conferencing facility for recording evidence of children/ victims of human trafficking. The State Government’s are directed to file the Status Reports within four weeks from today,” said the Apex Court.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta had taken suo motu cognizance on April 3, 2020 and had passed a slew of directions to the States to Registrar General of every High Court.
The Court had directed the States and Union Territories to ensure that the copy of the order with translated version shall be sent to all the CWCs and CCIs. The Court had also directed to Registrar General of all the High Courts to forward it to the Principal Magistrates presiding over the JJBs and presiding officers of the Children Courts. It further directed the Registrar General of every High Court to place the order before the Chairperson of JJC of every High Court.
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