Anti-trafficking bill with stringent punishments proposed, Centre invites suggestions

The Ministry of Women and Child Development on Sunday presented the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021 inviting suggestions and comments from stakeholders on the draft before its approval. According to the Ministry, the objective of the bill is to prevent and counter, trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

It also focuses on providing care, protection, and rehabilitation to the victims, while respecting their rights, and creating a supportive legal, economic and social environment for them. The Bill, which will now be sent to the cabinet for approval before being tabled in Parliament, has increased the scope of the nature of offenses of trafficking as well as the kind of victims of these offenses, with stringent penalties including life imprisonment, and even the death penalty in cases of an extreme nature. The recommendations for the Bill are to be submitted to the Ministry by July 14. A previous draft had been introduced in 2018, and had been passed by Lok Sabha despite stiff opposition from both parliamentarians as well as experts. It was later never introduced in Rajya Sabha. Experts say that nearly all the concerns raised in 2018 have been addressed in this new draft Bill.

According to the draft bill, a person who is found guilty of trafficking can be imprisoned for a term not less than seven years which may extend to 10 years. The convict shall also be liable to a fine not less than Rs 1 lakh that may extend up to Rs 5 lakh. Property brought using money from trafficking is also liable to be forfeited with the provisions detailed. Moreover, severe punishment has been proposed for offenses classified as ‘aggravated forms of trafficking’. The anti-trafficking bill once enacted, will extend to all citizens inside as well as outside India. The suggestions have been invited by the Ministry till July 14, after which it will be sent to the cabinet for approval before being tabled in Parliament.