New Delhi (Delhi) [India], February 6 (HBTV): The Delhi High Court has denied anticipatory bail to a woman accused of trafficking a child from her native place and employing him in the sale of illicit liquor, observing that granting such relief in cases involving exploitation of children would send a wrong signal to society.
The court noted that the use of children in the commission of crimes has been increasing in recent years. ‘In the recent past, exploitation of children in the commission of crimes is increasing day by day; children are now often used as a weapon by hardened criminals to escape penal action,’ the High Court observed.
Justice Girish Kathpalia rejected the anticipatory bail application of the accused, Savitri, on February 4, 2026. The court held that custodial interrogation was necessary to ascertain whether other children had also been trafficked in a similar manner.
While dismissing the plea, the bench noted that the accused was allegedly involved in 17 other cases of a similar nature and one case under the NDPS Act. It further observed that even after the present case, the accused and her family members were allegedly involved in two more similar cases.
The court said that, based on the investigation conducted so far, it appeared that the accused had received monetary benefits in the process. The PhonePe account statement of the accused is currently under examination by investigators. ‘Considering the above circumstances, I do not find it a fit case to grant anticipatory bail to the accused/applicant,’ the bench said.
According to the prosecution, the accused trafficked a child from her native village and brought him to Delhi, where he was allegedly employed in the sale of illicit liquor. An FIR in the matter was registered at Sangam Vihar police station in 2025.
The FIR was lodged on the statement of a constable who, during patrol duty, witnessed the sale of illicit liquor in a narrow lane of the Sangam Vihar area. The constable stated that when he attempted to apprehend a woman identified as Kajal, who was allegedly selling illicit liquor along with the child, she managed to flee, while the child was apprehended along with pouches of illicit liquor kept in a plastic bucket.
During the investigation, police found that the child had been brought to Delhi by the accused, who is a close relative of Kajal. Police further stated that the entire family of Kajal, along with the accused, was allegedly engaged in the sale of illicit liquor.
Counsel for the accused argued that even as per the prosecution’s case, her role was limited to bringing the child to Delhi and that there was no material to suggest that she brought him for the purpose of selling illicit liquor. It was also submitted that there was no evidence connecting the accused to the alleged sale of illicit liquor.
Opposing the plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Sanjeev Sabharwal submitted that the investigation so far indicated the active involvement of the accused in the illicit liquor racket and that she had received money in the process. The prosecution further argued that custodial interrogation was essential to determine whether more children had been trafficked by the accused for use in criminal activities.
(ANI)