Hyderabad: Expressing serious concern over the sexual exploitation of children at Yadadri, the Hyderabad High Court on Monday pulled up the State Intelligence wing for its failure to prevent it.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakris-hnan and Justice S.V. Bhatt while dealing with a PIL taken up suo motu asked what was the intelligence doing when such heinous crimes were going on at a religious place.
Stating that it would grant an order to set up a special court to try the cases booked in connection with the sex racket in Yadadri, the bench asked Advocate-General B.S. Prasad to find out from the state government whether it had any intention to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe these cases and inform it on Tuesday.
The bench asked why the police had not invoked IPC Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) against the doctor who had administered hormones to minor girls. Asking if the girls were broiler chicken to be administered hormones, the bench expressed displeasure at the doctor being released on bail.
The bench asked what the public prosecutors are doing when the accused in the sex racket were getting bail.
The bench asked the A-G under what circumstance did the trial court grant bail to the accused, and whether there was any resistance from the side of the public prosecutor against it. The bench asked how many of the accused had been granted bail so far.
The A-G said the police had registered 23 cases against the 33 accused and rescued 36 victims. Police had invoked Preventive Detention Act against some of the accused.
The bench asked the A-G what steps were taken to rehabilitate the victims, and to curb the heinous crime in the pilgrim centre. The judges said it appeared that the offences were taking place in connivance of the authorities.
The bench felt that truth would come out only if these cases were investigated through a special investigation team.
Mr J. Ramachandra Rao, additional advocate-general, told the court that the state government had given compensation to the victims. Asking the A-G to place all the details before the court, the bench posted the case to Tuesday.
