Supreme Court Dismisses NCPCR's Plea Over Missionaries of Charity Shelter Homes

The Supreme Court dismissed the NCPCR's plea seeking an SIT probe into allegations of children being sold by Missionaries of Charity shelter homes in Jharkhand. The court stated that the relief sought was vague and the NCPCR has the authority under the CPCR Act to conduct independent inquiries.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the plea filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which sought a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into allegations that children were being sold by shelter homes run by the Missionaries of Charity in Jharkhand.

A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh criticized the NCPCR for filing a petition that they described as vague and misconstrued. They noted that the NCPCR has the legal authority, under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, to conduct its own inquiries and take necessary actions.

The NCPCR had filed the plea in 2020, citing several discrepancies and instances of child rights violations in various states, including Jharkhand. However, the Supreme Court maintained that it could not grant the relief sought and dismissed the petition.

(With inputs from agencies.)