Kochi: Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the
state Director General of Police to ensure that immediate
instructions are issued to police to prevent begging.
The DGP should also ensure that no vehicles are permitted
to move with beggars as a collective lot to any particular
place, a Division Bench Comprising Chief Justice S R
Bannurmath and Justice Thothathil B Radhakrishnan said.
The bench was hearing a Public interest Litigation
petition by P J Peter seeking steps to prohibit begging in
Kerala and rehabilitation of beggars.
The directions were issued in the backdrop of reports of
beggars pouring into Kerala from neighbouring states during
Sabarimala and other festival seasons.
The bench said if any person was found involved in human
trafficking, particularly children, by providing facilities to
beg and generate funds by such process, he should be
immedately identified and brought to book. They should be
treated as a bunch of criminals, the bench said.
The court directed the state and police to produce an
action taken report in this regard.
The Secretary of Department of Social Welfare has been
asked to file a statement on the total number of children
below 14 years who have been identified as beggars and action
taken to rehabilitate them.
PTI
