25pc rise in India human trafficking cases in 2015, nearly half of which involved children
The real number of cases could be higher, activists say, as many victims, especially those from poor, rural backgrounds, remain unaware of the crime
Reports of human trafficking in India increased by 25 per cent in 2015 compared to the previous year, with more than 40 per cent of cases involving children being bought, sold and exploited as modern day slaves, government crime data showed.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said there were 6,877 cases related to human trafficking last year against 5,466 in 2014, with the highest number of cases reported in the northeast state of Assam, followed by the eastern state of West Bengal.
The data released on Tuesday showed 43 per cent of the 9,127 victims were below the age of 18. Crimes included inducing a minor girl with intent of sexual intercourse, buying or selling a minor girl for prostitution, and keeping a person as a slave.
Increased cases means that law enforcement agencies are now treating the issue of human trafficking seriously.
Activists attributed the rise in reported cases to greater public awareness as well as increased police training, resulting in better enforcement of anti-human trafficking laws.
However they said the real number of cases could be much higher because many victims, especially those from poor, rural backgrounds, remain unaware of the crime.
“We all know the numbers are very high and we expect the numbers to increase over the years,” said Supreme Court lawyer Ravi Kant and founder of Shakti Vahini, a Delhi-based anti-human trafficking charity. “Increased cases means that law enforcement agencies are now treating the issue of human trafficking seriously.”
South Asia, with India at its centre, is one of the fastest-growing regions for human trafficking in the world.