South Zone Regional Conference On Cyber Crimes Against Children Held In Hyderabad; Justice Vikram Nath Calls For 'Child-Friendly Justice By Design'

The conference focused on the theme “Prevent, Protect, Investigate, Provide Legal Aid and Rehabilitate”, addressing emerging cyber threats against children and measures to ensure child-friendly access to justice.

The inaugural session was attended by Justice Vikram Nath, Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman, NALSA, who delivered the keynote address. Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Supreme Court Judges Justice P.S. Narasimha, Justice R. Mahadevan and Justice Alok Aradhe were also present.

The session was also attended by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the High Court for the State of Telangana and Patron-in-Chief, TGSLSA, Justice P. Sam Koshy, Judge of the High Court for the State of Telangana and Executive Chairman, TGSLSA, Chief Justices, Executive Chairpersons of State Legal Services Authorities and Chairpersons of High Court Legal Services Committees from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Lakshadweep and Puducherry, besides other judicial and legal officers.

Speakers Stress Need For Child-Friendly Access To Justice

Delivering the welcome address, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh emphasised that ensuring access to justice for every child is a collective responsibility and highlighted the role of Legal Services Institutions in bridging the gap between the justice delivery system and vulnerable communities.

In his opening address, Arjun Ram Meghwal said that child welfare was not merely a welfare concern but an investment in nation-building. He stressed the need for digital literacy and awareness among children, parents and teachers, along with accessible and child-friendly legal processes.

He highlighted the twin objectives of ease of access to justice and ease of understanding, supported by trained legal aid lawyers and trauma-informed and gender-responsive assistance under NALSA's child-friendly legal services framework. He also referred to convergence with initiatives including Nyaya Bandhu, Tele-Law and One Stop Centres.

Justice Alok Aradhe highlighted the evolving complexities of cyber offences against children, particularly issues concerning digital evidence and investigation, and emphasised community-based protection and access to free legal aid.

Justice R. Mahadevan underscored the agency, dignity and rights of children and the role of Legal Services Institutions in empowering them. Justice P.S. Narasimha described children as humanity's greatest asset and stressed the importance of the time, care and attention of parents and teachers in securing their well-being.

Justice Vikram Nath Flags Risks From Social Media, Online Games And AI

Delivering the keynote address, Justice Vikram Nath observed that social media, messaging applications and online games, while providing opportunities for learning, can also expose children to sexual grooming, blackmail and cyberbullying.

He further noted that artificial intelligence was being misused to fabricate sexual images of children and stressed that the harm caused to a child remains real even when an image is fabricated.

Justice Vikram Nath described child protection as a shared responsibility of families, schools, public authorities and technology providers. He called for stronger protection of children's privacy and prompt action against child sexual abuse material.

Stressing the importance of the first response when a child discloses harm, he called for “child-friendly justice by design”, with legal aid extending from awareness to representation, protection and rehabilitation. He also emphasised the dignity of survivors, stating that the shame belongs to the person who exploits and not to the child who suffers.

Telangana CM Calls For Prevention, Protection And Speedy Justice

In his inaugural address, Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy referred to Mahatma Gandhi's legacy as a lawyer who employed law in the service of the weak and vulnerable, drawing a parallel with the role of Legal Services Institutions in making justice accessible.

He said the framework for addressing online crimes against children should focus on prevention, protection and speedy justice for child victims. He emphasised the central role of parents in ensuring children's online safety and referred to the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and Child Helpline (1098) as emergency support mechanisms.

The Chief Minister also urged parents to be curious rather than judgmental about their children's online activities and emphasised that justice is not confined to conviction but is also about restoration.

Initiatives Launched At Conference

The inaugural session also witnessed the launch of the TGSLSA (Freedom from Bonded Labour Legal Aid, Rescue, Rehabilitation and Re-integration) Scheme, 2026 by the Telangana Chief Minister.

A Commitment Wall carrying the theme “We commit. We Act. We Protect” was inaugurated, with the pledge to ensure legal aid to every child victim in need. The dignitaries present signed the wall to symbolise their collective resolve towards ensuring the safety, dignity and protection of children.

Justice Vikram Nath also flagged off “Nyaya Ratham – Justice at the Doorstep,” a Mobile Lok Adalat Van aimed at taking legal services closer to communities and facilitating accessible, affordable and expeditious justice.

He also released the Telugu edition of the “Compendium of NALSA Schemes”, published by TGSLSA, with the stated objective of making legal services schemes easier for the public to understand and access.

Four Technical Sessions Discuss Cyber Threats Against Children

The conference featured four thematic technical sessions dealing with the impact of digital platforms on children, emerging cyber threats, early detection and intervention, age- and gender-appropriate preventive measures and digital resilience.

The deliberations covered online grooming, sextortion, cyberstalking, online sexual exploitation, child sexual abuse material and technology-facilitated trafficking, with emphasis on prevention, child-friendly reporting, rescue, protection, rehabilitation and coordinated institutional action.

The sessions also examined challenges relating to digital evidence, investigation and trial procedures, protection of child identity, access to legal aid, victim compensation and trauma-sensitive processes.

An awareness poster on “Cyber Crime and Child Online Sexual Abuse” was unveiled by Justice Alok Aradhe. On the second day, Justice V. Mohana, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, released sensitisation material on “Cyber Crime, Online Child Sexual Abuse, Child Trafficking and Sale of Children” for the benefit of the public, including children and parents. SJustice Vikram Nath, during the conference, stressed that criminal law alone cannot secure a safe digital childhood and called for a coordinated response involving prevention, protection, investigation, legal aid and rehabilitation.

He outlined the conference theme as an institutional framework: prevention through regional-language legal literacy; protection through clear referral pathways; investigation through electronic evidence training and coordination with forensic and relevant agencies; early legal aid through trained panel lawyers; and rehabilitation through counselling, educational support and follow-up beyond legal proceedings.

The conference concluded with participation from Member Secretaries of State Legal Services Authorities, District Judges, Secretaries of District Legal Services Authorities, law officers of the High Court of Telangana and other dignitaries. The TGSLSA stated that the active participation of delegates and participants contributed to the success of the conference.