2012 INSC 0318
Budhadev Karmaskar
v.
State of West Bengal
(Supreme Court Of India)
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ALTAMAS KABIR HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE GYAN SUDHA
MISRA
Criminal Appeal No. 135 Of 2010 | 18-04-2012

1. This matter was listed today in terms of the order passed on 23rd March, 2012. While
considering the Sixth Interim Report, filed by the Committee appointed by this Court, we had
noticed that most of the issues, which have been raised in the Report, involve the different
Ministries and Departments of the Government, such as, the Department of Women and
Child Development, Social Welfare Department, the Ministry of Women and Child
Development, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. National Commission
for Women, the National Legal Services Authority and the Delhi Legal Services Authority.

2. Pursuant to our request, all the Departments are duly represented. Mr. U. Sarathchandran,
Member Secretary of the National Legal Services Authority and Ms. Asha Menon, Member
Secretary of the Delhi Legal Services Authority, are also present.

3. We have considered the Sixth Interim Report and have heard some of the persons, who
may have to be actively involved in finding solutions to the issues raised therein. Apart from
Mr. Pradip Ghosh, Sr. Advocate, the learned A.S.G., Mr. P.P. Malhotra and Mr. Grover,
learned senior Counsel, who represented some of the sex workers from Kolkata, based in
Sonagachi, we have also heard Dr. Shanta Sinha, Chairperson of the National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights, Dr. Charu Wali Khanna, Member, National Commission for
Women, Ms. Preeti Madan, Mr. U. Sarathchandran and Ms. Menon, on some of the problems
that are faced by women, who have for some reason or the other been dragged into the sex
trade.

4. Having heard the persons mentioned above, we are of the view that a joint meeting should
be convened by the Committee appointed by this Court under the Chairmanship of Mr.
Pradip Ghosh, learned senior advocate(amicus curiae), with the representatives of all the
different Departments, present in Court today, including a person from the Delhi
Administration and a representative of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO).

5. It has been suggested that such a meeting may be held on 6th May, 2012, (Sunday) at
11.00 a.m. The venue for the meeting would be the office of the National Legal Services

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Authority, situated at 12/11, Jam Nagar House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-11, pursuant to
the offer made by the Member-Secretary, NALSA, to use the Conference Room of the
NALSA office.

6. The persons are requested to be present at the aforesaid venue on 6th May, 2012, at 11.00
a.m.

7. At the meeting, the various issues for providing relief to the sex workers and their children
and their rehabilitation, may be discussed in detail and solutions may also be suggested as to
how these issues can be tackled, especially, those relating to the children of the sex workers.

8. The Delhi Administration is requested to depute Ms. Renu Love, Joint Director,
Department of Women and Child Development, to be present at the meeting.

9. Let this matter stand over till 10th May, 2012, at 3.30 p.m. and let this Bench be
reconstituted on the said date for the said purpose.

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