Srinagar, Oct 19 (KNS): Crime Branch J&K on Monday organised a one-day Union Territory-level conference on Anti-Human Trafficking at Tagore Hall, Srinagar, to strengthen inter-agency coordination and promote a victim-centric approach to investigation, rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration.

The conference was organised on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police Headquarters, J&K, and was inaugurated by IGP Crime J&K Sarah Rizvi, IPS, with CEO JK4C Sheikh Junaid Mehmood, IPS, as the Guest of Honour.

The event was attended by senior police officers, members of the judiciary, officials from the Social Welfare Department, police nodal officers of Anti-Human Trafficking Units, representatives of NGOs, paramilitary forces and students from various educational institutions.

Addressing the gathering, IGP Sarah Rizvi stressed the need for a coordinated and victim-centric response to human trafficking, emphasising that the success of anti-trafficking efforts must be assessed not only through rescue operations and registration of cases but also through victims' safety, dignity, access to justice and rehabilitation.

She also highlighted emerging challenges, including cyber-enabled exploitation and cyber slavery, and called for strengthening institutional capacities to address evolving forms of trafficking.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The technical sessions covered the legal framework governing human trafficking, emerging trends, investigative challenges, missing-person cases, judicial intervention and victim protection.

Experts, including Dr Aneeda Jan of the University of Kashmir, Dr Savita Nayar of Jammu University, Dr Farooq Ahmad Khan of the Social Welfare Department and SSP JK4C Kamal Pal Singh Malhotra, delivered presentations on various aspects of prevention, investigation and rehabilitation.

The conference provided a platform for police, judicial authorities, government departments, civil society organisations and students to exchange experiences and discuss measures to improve the prevention, detection and investigation of human trafficking cases.

Crime Branch J&K reiterated its commitment to strengthening institutional capacity, technology-enabled investigations and coordination among stakeholders to ensure justice for victims and accountability for traffickers.(KNS)