SC questions Centre over implementation of 'Operation Muskaan'

The Supreme Court today questioned the implementation of schemes like Operation Muskaan, meant to track missing children, saying how policemen can seek custody of the children including girls without following the statutory provisions.
"How can you do this? Is this permissible in law that the police officer can go and take custody of the child. You can't be behaving in a high handed manner like this," the social Justice bench headed by Justice M B Lokur said.
The observations came when the bench was informed that some Jharkhand policemen went to Child Welfare Committee at Gurgaon and sought custody of three minor girls hailing from the state.

"It appears that the Jharkhand police has prima facie acted in a high-handed manner pursuant to Operation Muskan and Operation Smile. We have advised the Solicitor General to look into the matter and to advise the police authorities throughout the country that Operation Muskan and Operation Smile do not permit the police authorities to violate the law particularly with respect to children," the bench asked.
The bench, meanwhile, directed the Centre to produce all the material before the Child Welfare Committee in Gurgaon.
"We direct the Union of India to produce all the material before the Child Welfare Committee in Gurgaon, Haryana, and we direct the Child Welfare Committee to take a decision in the best interests of the children on or before December 14, 2015 so that it is made available to us on the next date of hearing.

"We also direct the state of Haryana and the state of Jharkhand to produce all the material before the Child Welfare Committee and render full assistance to enable it to take an informed decision. The entire material be placed before the Child Welfare Committee on or before Monday, November 30, 2015," the bench said.