‘Conviction of human traffickers very low’

The number of convictions secured has remained dismally low, a senior Home Ministry official said.

Hyderabad: Even though more number of human
traffickers were being booked, the number of convictions
secured has remained dismally low, a senior Home Ministry
official said here on Saturday.

"More number of children and women are getting rescued
from clutches of traffickers and the registration of cases in
trafficking has seen a rise...but the trafficking convictions
still remain dismally low," Additional Secretary in the
Ministry of Home Affairs B Bhamathi said today.

Addressing prosecuting officers of southern states at the
Andhra Pradesh Police Academy here at a programme, she called
upon the officers to consider themselves as important change
agents and see that more convictions (for traffickers) are
secured.
The Additional Secretary said that 225 Anti- Human
Trafficking Units were presently functioning at district-level
across the country.

On the occasion, she also announced that the union home
ministry would soon present cash awards for those working in
the area of anti-human trafficking.

"Once the selection process is over, two state
governments will be given cash award of Rs 2 lakh each, three
individual officers will be presented Rs 1.5 lakh each while
two NGOs assisting the police in drive against traffickers
will also be awarded by the Home Minister P Chidamabaram
before March 31 this year," she said.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy
said on the occasion that AP Police was the first in the
country to set up an anti-trafficking unit in 2007.

In the last five years, the AP police busted 1,950
trafficking cases and rescued 2,892 victims and arrested 3,943
traffickers, the DGP said adding "We secured conviction
ranging from 4-14 years in 52 cases against 170 traffickers".

PTI

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