Bihar’s dark side — the hub of girl child trafficking, Pg 8.

Key Highlights:

• A 14-year-old girl from Chhattisgarh was trafficked and subjected to violence and rape in Bihar.
• Bihar Police rescued 271 girls till June 2025, including 153 from orchestras and 118 from the flesh trade.
• 162 girls were rescued from dance troupes in Saran district alone in 2025.
• Girls were held in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions, often trafficked under false promises.
• The NCRB (2022) reported 2,878 trafficked children, though real figures are likely higher.
• Bihar’s porous borders, weak regulation, and cultural factors make it a trafficking hotspot.
• Patna High Court directed the Bihar government to act, recognizing orchestras as a front for exploitation.

Detailed Insights:

• Human trafficking in Bihar reflects a systemic failure involving family complicity, poor law enforcement, and low conviction rates.
• Geographical factors (Nepal border, rail links to trafficking-prone states) and social acceptance of commodifying girls aid trafficking.
• Trafficked girls are exploited in orchestra groups, performing in vulgar settings and facing rape and abuse if they resist.
• Rescued girls are often returned to the same families who sold them, leading to re-trafficking.
• Laws exist (POCSO, JJ Act, BNS, etc.), but are poorly implemented. AHTUs lack resources and coordination, especially in inter-state cases.
• Just Rights for Children (JRC) and C-Lab emphasize prosecution-led prevention, long-term rehabilitation, and robust regulation of orchestras.
• The PICKET strategy advocates a holistic prevention model – Policy, Institutions, Convergence, Knowledge, Economy, Technology.
• Transport networks (rail, road, private buses) must be monitored using trained personnel to detect trafficking signs.
• Digitization, inter-state coordination, and survivor-centered rehabilitation are critical to dismantling trafficking networks.

Concepts Involved:

• PICKET Strategy:
  • Policy – Strong legal frameworks against exploitation.
  • Institutions – Dedicated AHTUs, fast-track courts.
  • Convergence – Inter-agency/state cooperation.
  • Knowledge – Community intel, survivor insights.
  • Economy – Disincentivizing trafficking financially.
  • Technology – Use of digital tools to track traffickers and victims.