On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reprimanded the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for filing a vague petition seeking a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate allegations of children being sold by shelter homes in Jharkhand, including those run by the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. The court emphasized that it should not be involved in the NCPCR's agenda.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh dismissed the petition, stating the relief sought was unclear and broad. The justices questioned the appropriateness of the petition, asking the NCPCR’s lawyer how such directions could be passed.

"Do not drag the Supreme Court into your agenda. The relief sought is misconstrued. We cannot pass such orders based on this petition," the court stated.

The lawyer for the NCPCR initially argued that a Supreme Court-monitored, time-bound investigation was needed to ensure the protection of children in Jharkhand's shelters. However, the court pointed out that the NCPCR already had legal powers under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, to investigate and take action on such issues independently.

The NCPCR's petition, filed in 2020, had sought to enforce the fundamental right against trafficking, as guaranteed by Article 23 of the Constitution, highlighting child rights violations in Jharkhand. It claimed that children were being sold from shelter homes and that the state authorities had adopted a lax approach to protecting minors, often undermining efforts to investigate these serious allegations.