With the year 2015 all set for sunset, a lingering worry it leaves for the State is kidnapping and abduction of children have posted a big rise in 2015. There is every possibility of Odisha breaking into the dubious top-10 list this year, especially when Odisha was at the 12th spot nationally in 2014.
The perilous rate of four such cases recorded every day in the year 2015 tells all, when in 2014 the State had registered only around two cases a day and, further, it was mere one case a day in 2013. Moreover, the rate of crime vis-a-vis child population in 2015 is also hovering at over five. It seems child kidnappings/abductions have blown into a full-scale enormity for Odisha in 2015.
As per the data available with State police, when the whole of 2014 could record around 800 cases of child kidnapping and abductions, the State in 2015 has recorded as many number of such cases by the end of October only. Significantly, Odisha had registered mere 96 child kidnapping cases in 2012 indicating how the menace had grown at a diabolic pace in recent years. What makes it look grave is a whopping around 70 per cent of such cases here were kidnappings/abductions other than that of compelling for marriage. Only over 31 per cent of child kidnapping/abductions in 2015 were registered under Section 366 of IPC - which meant kidnapping for marrying. And, according to legal experts, majority of Section 366 cases were of elopement nature than real kidnappings.
But the other big number is certainly a worry as most kidnappings or abductions here are by fraud for supplementing child labour or even bonded labour, an analysis shows. Parents file the kidnapping report when they lose any contact with their children. And, the rise in 2015 could well be attributed to the widespread drought the State has experienced this year.
Notwithstanding the rise in arrests of kidnappers by as high as 4-5 times since 2012, it is the negligible conviction in court of law that abets the cases of kidnappings in State. Numbers tell all. When over 2,450 persons charge-sheeted under Section 366 - 373 of IPC in 2014, the conviction rate is not even one per cent. Similarly, the conviction rate in 2013 was only 0.01 per cent and in 2012 it was zero per cent.
However, child rights activists attribute poor conviction rate to shoddy investigation by the concerned police officials as generally children kidnapped belong to poorest strata in the society. Though there is some truth in the argument as at times NHRC/OHRC has intervened to see police register cases, fact is when close relatives of children are involved some patch-up later could influence the evidence gathering activities of police required for logical conviction, confided a senior police officer.
