Latest news with #Prajwala
Hans India
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Seethakka commends Prajwala's unwavering commitment in fight against sex trafficking
Hyderabad: An event on 'World Day Against Trafficking In Persons' was organised by PRAJWALA-An anti-trafficking organization founded by Padma Shri awardee Sunitha Krishnan, with key stakeholders from governments, civil society, local community networks, and like-minded individuals on Wednesday. The event was organised at KNL Prasad Auditorium at Red Hills on Wednesday. According to UNODC estimates, a significant proportion of trafficking victims in India which is over 60 per cent were women and children, and many were exploited for commercial sex, forced labour, and domestic servitude. India continues to be a source, transit, and destination country, with traffickers increasingly using digital platforms for recruitment and exploitation. Women and Child Welfare Minister D Seethakka commended Prajwala's unwavering commitment in the fight against sex trafficking through its holistic interventions spanning prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration. The Minister emphasized the critical need for multi-stakeholder collaboration and reinforced that ending human trafficking requires a unified approach from government agencies, civil society, and the public at large. As part of the event, Seethakka felicitated eight Anti-Trafficking Champion from judiciary, police, survivors community and grass root level workers who have demonstrated exceptional courage and dedication in combating trafficking and supporting victims. She also formally released a set of comprehensive Training Manuals for Anganwadi workers, School Teachers and Village Office Assistants developed by Prajwala. These manuals are expected to play a crucial role in early identification, timely intervention, and victim support at the village and ward levels. As part of the event, a poster reflecting the 2025 theme 'Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation' was unveiled to amplify public awareness. Two impactful short films 'The Game' and 'Like, Subscribe and Share', directed by eminent filmmaker Rajesh Touchriver were also released, powerfully portraying the growing menace of cyber-enabled human trafficking and the urgent need for digital vigilance.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
World Day Against Trafficking: Telangana pushes for time-bound justice for trafficked children
Despite stronger laws and expansion of rescue efforts, a disturbing gap between rescue and prosecution continues to plague India's fight against human trafficking, especially when it comes to children. This warning echoed across two major events held in Hyderabad to mark the World Day Against Trafficking, as law enforcement officials, members of civil society groups and policymakers called for urgent, time-bound prosecution and stronger coordination among institutions. At a State-level consultation organised by Just Rights for Children (JRC) along with the Women Safety Wing and Telangana State Legal Services Authority, officials reviewed the current legal and policy framework related to human trafficking in India, called for inter-agency coordination and advocated for a time-bound action plan. The Legal Services Authority signed an MoU with JRC's partner, the Association for Voluntary Action, to ensure faster justice, legal support, rehabilitation and compensation for victims. Between April 2024 and April 2025, the JRC network of 250 NGOs in 418 districts rescued 56,242 trafficked children and initiated over 38,000 legal actions across India. In Telangana alone, 12 JRC partner organisations have rescued more than 44,000 children since 2023, including over 19,000 from trafficking and labour. However, legal action was pursued in only 12,175 of those cases, underlining the troubling enforcement gap. Crimes against children and women demand deeper understanding. It is crucial that all stakeholders undergo consistent capacity building, said Kothkota Seetha Dayakar Reddy, chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. Telangana Legal Services Authority member-secretary Panchakshari said that while laws like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Right To Education are in place to safeguard children, gaps in implementation persist. 'To end trafficking, we must focus on early reporting and proactive identification of such cases,' the official said. 'Need for stakeholder collaboration' Anti-trafficking organisation Prajwala also hosted an awareness event at the KLN Auditorium, Red Hills, to drive public and institutional commitment against sex trafficking and cyber-enabled exploitation. Chief guest and Minister for Women and Child Welfare D. Seethakka emphasised the critical need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, calling for unified approach from government agencies, civil society and the public at large. The Minister felicitated eight 'Anti-Trafficking Champions' from judiciary, police, survivors community and grassroot workers who were a part of combating trafficking and supporting victims. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Mahesh M. Bhagwat highlighted the importance of victim-centric policing, timely intervention and sustained rehabilitation, noting that collaborative models like that of Prajwala and law enforcement agencies can serve as a blueprint for effective anti-trafficking responses nationwide. Women and Child Development department secretary Anitha Ramachandran emphasised the importance of empowering Anganwadi workers with the knowledge and tools to identify trafficking indicators while Divya Devarajan, chief executive officer of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, spoke about the sensitisation of Village Organisation Assistants on human trafficking, enabling grassroots-level vigilance and early identification of vulnerable individuals. Venkata Narsamma, joint director of Samagra Shiksha, highlighted the State-wide initiative to train school teachers in identifying and responding to trafficking risks among children.
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Telangana HC gives govt one week to decide on termination of minor rape victim's 21-week pregnancy
Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the state government and the superintendent of Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad to immediately constitute a medical board to look into a request for medical termination of a rape victim's 21-week pregnancy and inform the court of its opinion within a week. Justice K Sarath gave the order while hearing a petition filed by the NGO Prajwala seeking a court direction for immediate and comprehensive tests to be conducted on the 17-year-old rape victim. The NGO sought examinations by a qualified surgeon, gynaecologist, and obstetrician, in the presence of a qualified physician to formulate an opinion under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971. Seeking termination of the pregnancy at the earliest, the NGO said continuation of pregnancy posed a grave risk to the girl's health. It was submitted that the girl was rescued from a brothel and admitted to Prajwala's home for such victims for rehabilitation on the orders of a court and that during a routine medical checkup, it came to light that she was pregnant. The NGO also stated that the girl wants to end the pregnancy and doesn't want to carry it to term. Senior advocate Deepak Misra, appearing on behalf of Prajwala, argued that forcing a minor victim of sexual exploitation and trafficking to continue a pregnancy would severely harm her mental health, as per the MTP Act. He stressed that the minor is legally entitled to seek termination of her pregnancy if it poses a serious risk to her physical and mental well-being. 'Under section 3 of the MTP Act, pregnancy can be terminated upto 20 weeks of pregnancy and above 20 weeks, there should be a medical board which should examine and give consent. And section 6 of the MTP Act states that if the person is a minor, sex worker or rape victim, then they can go for termination even after 20 weeks,' the senior advocate said. He further argued that the minor victim is entitled to seek termination if it causes grave injury to her physical and mental health. Rahul V Pisharody is an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting from Telangana on various issues since 2019. Besides a focused approach to big news developments, Rahul has a keen interest in stories about Hyderabad and its inhabitants and looks out for interesting features on the city's heritage, environment, history culture etc. His articles are straightforward and simple reads in sync with the context. Rahul started his career as a journalist in 2011 with The New Indian Express and worked in different roles at the Hyderabad bureau for over 8 years. As Deputy Metro Editor, he was in charge of the Hyderabad bureau of the newspaper and coordinated with the team of district correspondents, centres and internet desk for over three years. A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Rahul has a Master's degree in Communication (Print and New Media) from the University of Hyderabad and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. Long motorcycle rides and travel photography are among his other interests. ... Read More
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad NGO worker moves Telangana HC against order to house sex trafficking accused; cites risk to victim safety, seeks legal protection
HYDERABAD: Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based NGO working for rehabilitation of sex trafficking victims, has approached the Telangana high court challenging a lower court order directing the NGO to accommodate a woman it claims is a trafficking accused and not a victim. It also sought the court's intervention to direct officials to ensure anyone accused of trafficking is not treated as a victimand housed in any rescue home. The petition was filed against a May 18 order by the III additional chief metropolitan magistrate of Hyderabad. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Prajwala's advocate Deepak Misra said such lapses made a mockery of rehabilitation efforts and endangered victims while urging the court to free the NGO from accommodating the woman. 'Brothel activities' 'She was found to be an organiser of brothel activities and an accused at SR Nagar police station for offences relating to human trafficking. Sending such a person to our rescue home runs contrary to the objects and purposes of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. The magistrate passed this order despite our objections,' he said. The NGO counsel alleged that some individuals accused of trafficking were earlier housed in rescue shelters alongside survivors. When the bench wanted to know the state stance on the issue, it found that no one was there to answer its queries. The bench, while expressing its displeasure, posted the case to July state counsel later claimed that the bench recalled the order summoning the DGP and law secretary. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- The Hindu
Hyderabad police strengthens anti-human trafficking and child protection with new victim assistance centre
A new Victim Assistance Unit, Telangana's first dedicated centre aimed at providing support to survivors of human trafficking, was launched at the Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, on Tuesday. The unit, developed in collaboration with NGO Prajwala, is designed to help victims recollect their trauma in a safe, informed environment and support them through the judicial process, including preparation for court depositions. It will also assist in linking survivors with legal aid, State-run rehabilitation schemes and psycho-social counselling for rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Staff from Prajwala will operate the centre under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Women Safety Wing. Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand also inaugurated newly reorganised and dedicated facilities for its Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and Juvenile Bureau (JB) Unit. These reorganisations follow a Government Order issued by the Home Department on April 30, 2023, which initially brought the AHTU under the Women Safety Wing. A subsequent Government Order dated April 24, 2025, formally constituted these wings with a clearly sanctioned strength of personnel. The AHTU is staffed with eight officers, including an inspector, two sub-inspectors, two head constables, and three police constables. The unit has been tasked with identifying trafficking hotspots both online and offline, conducting rescue operations, gathering actionable intelligence, and closely monitoring the movements and networks of traffickers - including pimps, brothel operators, touts and their clientele. In the current year alone, the AHTU has registered 23 cases, rescued 44 victims, and arrested 71 individuals involved in trafficking-related crimes. The unit is also engaged in following up trial cases and facilitating the repatriation of Indian victims as well as the deportation of foreign nationals in coordination with relevant authorities. The Juvenile Bureau Team, also functioning as the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU), has been given a sanctioned strength of seven officers, and is based out of CCS Hyderabad. It focuses on protecting children from abuse, child labour, bonded labour and trafficking. The team works in close coordination with the Child Welfare Committee and has so far this year repatriated four children within Telangana and seven to other States. Under the 'Operation Smile' and 'Operation Muskan' drives, 896 children have been rescued to date.
