Trafficking of person 1
AI Assist
Summary
Trafficking occurs when someone recruits, transports, harbours, transfers or receives a person for exploitation by threats, force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or inducement (including payments to a person who controls the victim). Exploitation includes sexual abuse, slavery, servitude or forced removal of organs, and the victim's consent is irrelevant. Punishment is heavy: minimum seven years' rigorous imprisonment and fine, increasing to longer terms or life for multiple victims, minors, or if a public servant or police officer is involved.
Example
Priya is promised work by a recruiter who lies and takes her to another city, then forces her to work. Even if Priya initially agreed because of the promise, her consent is immaterial: the recruiter committed trafficking by deception and coercion. The recruiter faces at least seven years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine; harsher punishments apply if Priya were a minor or if multiple people were trafficked.
Bare Act
Enacted text(1) Whoever, for the purpose of exploitation, (a) recruits, (b) transports, ( c) harbours, (d) transfers, or (e) receives, a person or persons, by—
(i) using threats, or
(ii) using force, or any other form of coercion, or
(iii) by abduction, or
(iv) by practising fraud, or deception, or
(v) by abuse of power, or
(vi) by inducement, including the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, in order to achieve the consent of any person having control over the person recruited, transported, harboured, transferred or received,
commits the offence of trafficking.
Explanations
- The expression “exploitation” shall include any act of physical exploitation or any form of sexual exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the forced removal of organs.
- The consent of the victim is immaterial in determination of the offence of trafficking.
(2) Whoever commits the offence of trafficking shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(3) Where the offence involves the trafficking of more than one person, it shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(4) Where the offence involves the trafficking of a minor, it shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(5) Where the offence involves the trafficking of more than one minor, it shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than fourteen years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(6) If a person is convicted of the offence of trafficking of minor on more than one occasion, then such person shall be punished with imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(7) When a public servant or a police officer is involved in the trafficking of any person then, such public servant or police officer shall be punished with imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and shall also be liable to fine.
1 Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013
Previous year papers
Pick your exam. we'll email the most recent paper.