HC directs TN govt to file affidavit on missing child cases

The Madras High Court today directed Tamil Nadu government to file an affidavit on missing children cases registerd during the last five years in the state.
A division bench, comprising Justices S Nagamuthu and V Bharathidasan, issued the order on a habeas corpus petition after suo motu impleading the state Home Secretary as the third respondent.
Petitioner M B Nirmal of Exnora International, an NGO, has filed the petition seeking production of two homeless children who went missing some months ago.
Widening the scope of the petition, the court ordered the Home Secretary to file within two weeks an affidavit on the cases of missing children registered in the last five years across the state along with their status.

The petitioner submitted that he, along with Latha Rajnikanth, wife of actor Rajnikanth and founder of Daya Foundation, had submitted a representation to the Police Commissioner on March 28 about the two missing children.
As no action had been taken so far, he has moved the court.
The petitioner also submitted that there have been several cases of children going missing from roadside platforms in the city. If such missing children were not found, it would encourage those involved in illegal child trafficking.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing to June 16.