The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights seeking a court-monitored investigation into allegations of child trafficking in the shelter homes run by the Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic congregation founded by Mother Teresa, in Jharkhand, PTI reported.

The petition asked for a Special Investigation Team to investigate all similar organisations in Jharkhand in the interest of protecting children.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh told the child rights body: “Don’t drag the Supreme Court into your agenda. What kind of relief is sought in your petition? How can we pass such directions? The petition is totally misconstrued.”

The court dismissed the petition, pointing out that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had the authority to conduct an inquiry into the matter as per the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.

The petition filed in 2020 sought the enforcement of trafficking prohibitions under Article 23 of the Constitution, citing concerns about the management of children’s homes across states.

Article 23 of the Indian Constitution prohibits human trafficking and forced labour.

The agency’s petition cited instances of child rights being violated in Jharkhand as evidence that the authorities in the state had adopted a callous approach toward the protection of minors.

“During the course of inquiry by petitioner, shocking revelations were made by victims which included the fact that the children were being sold from children homes,” the child rights body had told the court. “These facts were emphatically brought to the notice of the state government, but continuous attempts were made to sabotage and derail the inquiry.”