New Delhi: Expressing concern over the growing number of cases relating to exploitation of minor children following their employment in households, the Delhi High Court has suggested that the NCT government formulate a scheme to prevent such harassment.

"The monitoring of functioning of placement agencies would have to be undertaken on a far more rigorous scale to ensure that minors are not allowed to be employed and placed in households. We would suggest to the GNCTD (Delhi government) to seek the involvement of the Child Rights Commission at the Centre and State level to formulate a scheme in the area," observed a Division Bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar.

To provide free legal aid to the minors under the Juvenile Justices Act, the Bench recommended that the Legal Services Authorities constitute a special panel of advocates with the requisite degree of sensitivity for such cases on a daily basis in the proceedings in the Juvenile Justice Board and the Child Welfare Committee(CWC).

"They should be available round the clock on call and a complete list of names with their telephone and mobile numbers should be available to these authorities for the purpose," the Bench said.

The court order came following a letter received from the Chairperson of CWC challenging a Metropolitan Magistrate's order dismissing its application for a baby's custody and allowing a couple to adopt a baby whose mother was a minor maid and a rape victim.
Source : PTI