The Judicial Academy, Jharkhand, organised a State-Level Conference on “Human Trafficking & Human Rights” at its Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Auditorium in Ranchi on Sunday, bringing together judges of the Jharkhand High Court, judicial officers, police officers, public prosecutors and other stakeholders to discuss the legal and institutional response to trafficking.

Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, Judge of the Jharkhand High Court, opened the conference by outlining the purpose of the programme and the challenges involved in addressing human trafficking and protecting the rights of survivors.

Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, Judge of the Jharkhand High Court and Executive Chairman of the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority, was the chief guest. He stressed that justice in trafficking cases must extend beyond rescue and prosecution to include recovery, rehabilitation, reintegration and measures to prevent survivors from being trafficked again.

Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay, Judge of the High Court and Judge-in-Charge of the Judicial Academy, also attended the conference. Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi and Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary addressed the participants and emphasised the need for a victim-sensitive, human rights-based approach to trafficking cases. They highlighted the importance of coordination among institutions, effective investigation, protection, legal aid, medical assistance, rehabilitation, compensation, witness protection and livelihood support, while recognising survivors as rights-holders in the justice process.

One of the central parts of the programme was a session in which survivors of human trafficking shared their experiences. Their accounts focused on exploitation, rescue and the difficulties that often continue after survivors return to society. During the event, Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay and other judges of the High Court felicitated the survivors and underscored the importance of their reintegration, particularly through education.

Dr. P.M. Nair, former Director General of the National Disaster Response Force and former Nodal Officer on Anti-Human Trafficking at the National Human Rights Commission, spoke about the broader dimensions of trafficking, emerging trends and the challenges faced by agencies dealing with such cases. He also discussed responses and practices aimed at tackling trafficking more effectively.

Advocates Rachna Tyagi and Madhulika Mohta of the Supreme Court addressed legal issues arising during the trial of trafficking cases and the rehabilitation of victims and survivors. Senior officers of the Government of Jharkhand, Manoj Kaushik and Kiran Pasi, also shared their perspectives on these issues.

Two publications were released during the inaugural session: The Legal Landscape of Human Trafficking and Landmark Judgements and Custodial Deaths: Violation of Human Rights – A Standing Operating Procedure (SOP) and Model Format for Inquiry into Custodial Deaths.

The conference concluded with a vote of thanks by Rajesh Sharan Singh, Director of the Judicial Academy, Jharkhand, who thanked the judges, speakers, survivors and participants for contributing to the programme.