A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the employment and misuse of children and teenagers in orchestras, dance groups, massage parlors and spas. While hearing the petition related to the case, the Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Central Government, child rights organization NCPCR and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and sought their response.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi heard senior advocate H.S., appearing for child rights group ‘Just Rights for Children Alliance’ (JRCA). Considered Phoolka’s arguments and also issued notice to the Union Labor and Law and Justice ministries. Phoolka said in her plea that minor girls aged 10 and 11 are being hired to work in orchestras and dance bars. However, for spas and massage parlors, some states have made rules fixing the minimum age at 18 years.
Notice also sent to NCPCR-NHRC
Describing the situation as “serious”, a three-judge bench also issued notices to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on this petition. The plea also said, “A ‘writ of mandamus’ or appropriate directions be issued directing the Center to exercise its powers under Section 4 of the ‘Child and Adolescent Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986’ to prohibit children below the age of 18 years from working or performing in orchestras, dance groups, dance bars, nautanki, massage parlours, spas and salons, or any such place. Be included in Part A of the Schedule of CALPRA, so that such employment can be completely banned.”
The petition alleged that these areas have turned into “hidden havens” for organized trafficking, sexual exploitation and forced labor of minor girls across the country. The petition filed by advocate Sonali Jain on behalf of JRCA questioned the shortcomings in the implementation of the ‘Child and Adolescent Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act’ (CALPRA), 1986.
should be banned completely
Under this law, “hazardous” occupations, where teenagers are strictly prohibited from working, are listed in Part A of the CALPRA schedule. Whereas, massage parlors and spas currently fall under ‘Part B’, which means that employing teenagers (people aged 14 to 18) is only “regulated” and not completely banned.
Also, the “orchestra” and “dance group” sectors, which are widespread in states like Bihar and West Bengal, are not completely included in the list. The petition also states that traffickers take advantage of this legal ambiguity to disguise the commercial sexual exploitation of children as “legal employment” in the entertainment and wellness industry.
More exploitation in Bengal and Bihar
The petition gave data of rescue operations conducted between March 2025 and May 2026 and said that 212 minors were rescued from orchestras and dance groups in Bihar and West Bengal. Similarly, 12 minors were rescued from massage parlors and spas in Delhi and Rajasthan. Some of the victims were only 12 years old.
In fact, many of these minors were sold to operators for sums ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000, forced into debt traps, turned into bonded labour, and forced to perform in “sexually provocative clothing” in front of intoxicated audiences.
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