The Government of India attaches high degree of importance to the prevention and countering of the crime of human trafficking, especially women and children. Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 provides penal provisions for strict punishment for any offence of human trafficking. Section 144(1) of the BNS provides for strict punishment for the offence of sexual exploitation of trafficked children. The punishment for such offences range between five years to life imprisonment.
Special provisions have also been, inter-alia, made in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 for dealing with crimes against women and children. In particular, Sections 95 to 99 of the BNS deal with offences against children and provide for strict punishment to the offenders. These sections have provisions for dealing with the offence of hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence; procuration of child; and selling/buying of a child for purposes of prostitution, etc. The punishment for these offences range between three years to fourteen years.
In addition, Section 139 of the BNS provides punishment against kidnapping or maiming of a child for the purposes of begging. Section 141 of the BNS provides punishment for importation of a girl or boy from foreign country for illicit sexual exploitation etc. The punishment for these offences range between ten years to life imprisonment.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar
in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
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