Srinagar, April 9 -- Srinagar- The Supreme Court of India has expressed serious concern over the rising cases of child trafficking across the country, warning that the situation could spiral out of control if states and Union Territories fail to act urgently.Hearing a plea on Wednesday, a bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan observed that organised gangs are actively operating and require a coordinated crackdown by state machinery.

"As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request," the bench said.

The court came down heavily on what it described as a "lackadaisical" approach by several states a...